


Bound To You

by Lovebird1517, ronans



Category: SKAM (France)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Friends With Benefits, M/M, One Night Stand
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-14
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2020-03-05 12:18:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 22,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18828535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lovebird1517/pseuds/Lovebird1517, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ronans/pseuds/ronans
Summary: ‘Can I get you another drink?’‘Only if I can get your name.’‘Lucas.’‘Well, Lucas, how about we skip the drink and go straight to dancing? I’m Eliott, by the way.’or an AU in which a one night stand turns into friends with benefits because Lucas just can’t seem to stay away from the incredibly hot guy from the bar who happens to be really great at sex.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! First thing's first, we're so excited to share this fic with you. It's a collaboration between [lovebird1517](http://lovebird1517.tumblr.com) , [eliottsmec](http://eliottsmec.tumblr.com) and [cheloueliott](http://cheloueliott.tumblr.com)  
> Our wonderful cover artist: [starcassstic](http://starcassstic.tumblr.com)  
> We’re not sure how many chapters it’s going to be yet but mecs we’re all genuinely jus here for a laff x  
> We're aiming to post once a week, but sometimes life gets busy and there’s three of us so please be patient with us<3  
> Also, we are three non-French people writing about French things so please excuse us and ignore our mistakes thank you and happy reading!!
> 
> POV changes:  
> Lucas: 🌸  
> Eliott: 🍁

 

🌸

_FRIDAY 15:32_

 

Lucas doesn’t remember a time in his life when he’s ever felt this bored. He blankly stares at the pastel orange ceiling of his room and wonders who thought it was a good idea to paint it that color when the rest of the room was pearl white. But Lucas can’t complain too much because he’s actually grown to like it. Not that he had much of a choice anyways; this is the best he and Yann could afford at the moment with both of them being struggling first year university students. He squeezes the stress ball in his right hand as his mind drifts into a series of unrelated thoughts.

The blazing heat currently present in the room doesn’t help soothe his current state of boredom and irritation. He hears a ping from his phone next to him, and drops the ball like it had burned him in favor of quickly unlocking the device. Lucas is at the point where even an email from one of his professors will bring him an ounce of joy. He feels himself smile a little when he sees that it’s a text from none other than his boyfriend of three years, Julian.

 

 **Jul** ❤: hey

_hi :)_

**Jul** ❤: we need to talk

_okay, about what?_

**Jul** ❤: this isn’t working out lucas

_what isn’t_

**Jul** ❤: you and me

_…_

**Jul** ❤: idk how to say this without sounding like a total dick

 **Jul** ❤: im just not feeling this

_not feeling what?_

**Jul** ❤: i mean this relationship

 

Lucas cannot believe what he is reading on his screen. His fingers hover over the text bar in complete state of shock. It takes him a few seconds to snap out of this daze and try to find what to respond with. ‘ _i don’t understand_ ’ he tries before shaking his head and trying again. ‘ _what did i do wrong?_ ’ No, that still doesn’t sound right. He must be taking too long because he is suddenly startled when his phone pings again.

 

 **Jul** ❤: lucas?

_[starts typing]_

_what do u mean? do u want to break up?_

**Jul** ❤: yeah

 

It hits him like a bucket of ice cold water and he immediately gets numb. What is he supposed to reply to that?

_k whatever_

 

Lucas doesn’t bother checking his phone for Julian’s reply before he throws it somewhere around the room, not even caring where it lands. He’s probably going to regret it later when he has to dig under the mess that is his room to find it, but right now he couldn't care less. Not when his heart was just broken by one of the few people he trusted enough to let in his life. Not when Julian was the first guy he’s ever said ‘I love you’ to. Not when he currently feels like he can’t breathe and is drowning in the deep oceans of Antarctica.

Lucas doesn't know how long he stayed there laying on his bed. All he knows is that by the time he decides to get up and find his phone, the sky outside his window has become considerably darker and his cheeks feel damp - probably from all the crying he has been doing. He finds the device in between all his biology books and notices with slight relief that nothing looks broken. That will save him from experiencing more pain because of this break up. Lucas unlocks his phone and directly goes to his gallery where he mass deletes all the pictures he’s ever taken with Julian. Well almost all of them; he can’t bring himself to get rid of all the memories he shared with the only man he’s ever loved and unfortunately still loves. Lucas’ hands shake as he clicks over the twitter app and quickly types out a tweet.

He knows that to an outsider it probably looks like he is being dramatic, but he doesn't care. He put so much of his time into this relationship and gave it his all, just to have it taken away from him in a few seconds. Over _text_. The worst thing about this whole situation is that Lucas can’t even bring himself to hate Julian, and that just makes his heartache more intense. Lucas lets his whole body fall back on the bed with a heavy sigh. He’s back to staring at the unmatched ceiling and he wishes he could go back in time to when he was bored out of his mind because anything is better than the state of numbness he is in right now.

 

\---

_FRIDAY 20:54_

 

It’s not until darkness surrounds his room and Lucas can’t see shit that he hears the front door of the apartment unlock. He guesses it’s just Yann at first but then he hears the loud voices of two other people. He internally groans because he doesn't feel like dealing with his friends right now. It’s fine if he doesn't come out of his room, they won’t bother him. Or so he thought, because not even one minute later, Yann, Arthur, and Basile barge into the room and Lucas mentally scolds himself for not locking it.

‘Hey Lucas, how is it going?’ Arthur asks throwing himself on the bed next to him. Basile sits on the floor and Yann immediately makes himself comfortable by sitting next to Lucas’s head on the bed.

Lucas hums in response to Arthur’s question and closes his eyes. They all stay in a comfortable silence for a moment. Lucas feels their eyes on him and sighs before opening his own. ‘What?’

They don’t answer his question opting to glance at each other instead.

‘Seriously guys?’ he says with a bite. He didn’t mean to sound so harsh but he can’t be blamed since he just went through possibly the worst day of his life; even the smallest thing could set him off right now.

Yann gives the other two one more look before looking down to meet Lucas’s eyes. He clears his throat, which is something Lucas knows he does when he is nervous. _What is he nervous_ _about?_

‘Did something happen with Jul?’ he asks with a calm voice. ‘We saw your tweet and got worried.’

Lucas shrugs and decides that it’s better to tell them since they’ll find out anyway.

‘We broke up,” he starts, ‘I mean, no, _he_ broke with _me_ saying “he wasn't feeling it anymore” or whatever the heck that’s supposed to mean.’

Lucas watches as his three friends eye each other in worry, none of them daring to speak.

‘I knew he was up to no good when he took you to watch a silent movie on your first date,’ Basile says after a few moments of silence, earning him a kick in his stomach from Yann.

‘Ouch! What, I’m not lying, that should have warned all of us. I mean who still watches those kind of movies in this day and age?’

‘Some people still do and that doesn’t make them bad people,’ Arthur responds.

‘Anyways, Lucas I’m sure it’s not your fault. That guy is clearly an asshole and he’s stupid if doesn't realize that he was dating the most wonderful boy in the whole world.’ Yann says.

‘Yeah, right.’

‘No, I’m serious. He just lost the single best thing that could happen to his life and by the time he realizes it, it’s going to be too late.’

‘That doesn’t change the fact that I was dumped,’ Lucas says in defeat, tears threatening to fall from his eyes. ‘God how stupid I was to think someone could actually love me despite how fucked up I am.’

‘Okay, what we are not going to do is let a break up define you. Like I said, it’s his loss,’ says Yann and then Lucas sees the other two nod from his peripheral vision. ‘You know what? We are going out tonight and we’re finding you someone that will make you forget the guy even existed.’

Lucas groans. ‘Guys isn't it way too early to be thinking about getting into a relationship? I mean we broke up literally a few hours ago.’

‘Who said anything about getting into relationship?’ Arthur says.

Lucas regards him with a weird look before it dawns on him, ‘you want me to hook up with someone? Guys, how many times do I have to say this? We just broke up.’

‘And that’s exactly why you need to get your mind off it instead of laying here and feeling sorry for yourself,’ Basile responds.

Lucas is about to reply with a negative answer but stops himself. _What does he have to lose?_ The best way to forget someone is to find a distraction and what’s a better distraction than having sex with a complete stranger with no strings attached?

He sighs and nods. “Yeah, let’s go out and find me that guy.’

The three boys cheer and get up from their respective positions and head towards the door.

‘Get ready and make sure to wear your best outfit. We’ll wait for you in the living room,’ Yann says as he pushes the other two out of his room.

Lucas waits for the small click from the door and then brings his hands up to rub his face. He can feel his head throbbing against his palm, but he refuses to acknowledge it. Instead, he gets up and walks over to his closet to find something presentable to wear. He is currently wearing worn out sweats and an old t-shirt that has faded stains on it. He let his eyes wander around the closet trying to find something that compliments him but isn’t too much at the same time.

He decides on his favorite grey hoodie with the word _romance_ on it over a short sleeve shirt and a pair of jeans with a small hole on the knee. He quickly changes and goes to stand in front of the tall mirror in the corner of his room to see how looks. After a few minutes of readjusting the hoodie and trying to fix his wild hair, he gives himself a small smile through the mirror. He heads out of his room, taking his keys and wallet with him. Locking his bedroom, he heads to the small living room where the boys are sitting on the sofa. They stop mid-bickering when they feel his presence. ‘Oh look who decided to show up! We were this close to barging in there to make sure you weren’t kidnapped,’ Basile says.

Lucas rolls his eyes. ‘So can we go now?’

‘Yeah, hold on, can you sit here for a second?’ Yann asks as he gets up and motions for Lucas to take his place on the sofa. ‘I want to take a picture for my Instagram.’

Lucas reluctantly sits in Yann’s spot and waits for him to snap the picture before getting up and following the others to the front door.

As they make their way outside the apartment and into the elevator, Lucas takes that time to check his Instagram and sees Yann’s post on his feed.

A small smile appears on his face and he turns to Yann, who was already watching him. They share a knowing look and Lucas puts his phone back in his back pocket once the elevator stops at the lobby. When they leave the apartment complex, he feels the warm summer air on his skin and thinks maybe wearing a hoodie was not the best idea. Lucas watches with a small amused smile as his friends start acting like complete idiots on the side of the road. Arthur and Basile are singing a song Lucas has never heard and Yann would join in when they hit the high notes. And Lucas has to admit this is better than spending his night alone in his bed.

 

\---

_FRIDAY 23:45_

 

The next thing he knows, Lucas is sitting at a table with his friends giggling like there is no tomorrow. He feels warm all over his body and his mind is a huge mess. He takes off his hoodie once the heat becomes too much to bear. It doesn't make it any better because the whole bar feels like an oven. There are sweaty bodies dancing around on the dancefloor next to them and the bright neon lights are making him slightly dizzy. The music is also very loud and Lucas can feel his whole body shake from its intensity. But he loves it, because he has never felt more alive.

‘Okay Lucas, enough joking around, we need to find you the guy that will make you forget about that asshole,’ Basile says in between sips of his drink. ‘Anyone caught your attention yet?’

Lucas takes a look around the place and turns back to his friends. ‘Nope.’

Arthur hums and all three of his friends start looking around the room in search for the perfect guy. Lucas busies himself with his drink and gets startled by Yann’s loud gasp. ‘How about him?’ He points to a guy sitting at the bar. Lucas eyes him for a moment before shaking his head. ‘Nah, not my type.’

‘Okay, what about him?’ Basile tilts his head towards the dancefloor, ‘the one in the blue shirt.’ Lucas admits he is attractive, but he’s just not feeling it. ‘Nah,’ he responds. He is about to bring his eyes back to his friend when a tall figure standing by the mass of dancing bodies catches his interest.

The guy is the most beautiful person Lucas has ever laid eyes on. He is laughing at something his friends are saying when suddenly Lucas meets his eyes. The guy quickly averts his gaze and brings his attention back to his friends. Interesting. Lucas turns to his friends with a smile on his face. ‘I think I found him,’ he says to them.

‘Who?’ Yann asks.

‘That one over there by the dancefloor, next to the two guys laughing. He’s wearing all black.’

‘Oh yeah I see him. Damn Lucas, you got taste,’ Arthur says. Lucas feels a strange sense of pride come over him and he gulps down the last of his drink before getting up and fixing his hair with his hands.

‘See you guys tomorrow,’ he says with a wink. His friends laugh and loudly cheer him on as he makes his way to the mystery boy. Once he gets close enough to clearly see him, Lucas realizes that he is even more breathtaking up close. He almost backs out, but when the guy turns toward him and he locks eyes with the most piercing pair of eyes in the entire world, all logic is thrown out of the window.

 

🍁

 

Eliott feigns innocence as the guy he’d been secretly eyeing all night finally breaks away from his friends and begins to saunter over to him. He’s been standing at the outskirts of the dancefloor with his friends for a while now, surveying the mass of sweating bodies. He takes a long sip of his drink and keeps his eyes trained on the crowd as Idriss and Sofiane continue their stream of conversation. He’s not really paying attention, keeping track of the other boy’s movements from the corner of his eye instead.

‘ _Eliott_!’ He’s startled out of preparing the groundwork of his subtle game plan as Idriss slaps him on his upper arm.

‘What?’

Sofiane rolls his eyes and gives Idriss the _Demaury wasn’t paying attention again_ look. ‘You didn’t hear any of that, did you?’

The guy’s still in his periphery. Good.

He takes a wild stab in the dark at the topic. ‘The… community center…?’ Although that had been the topic they were discussing before Eliott’s attention had faded out, from the looks on his friends’ faces, they’d already changed the subject.

Idriss shakes his head but he seems amused. ‘Obviously we’re not interesting enough,’ he snickers. ‘Come on, Sof, let’s go get some drinks and leave Demaury to his people-watching.’

Eliott smiles fondly at them as they leave, almost forgetting the reason he’d lost focus in the first place.

It takes about thirty seconds after Eliott’s been left alone for a stumbling figure to take Idriss’ place by his side. He tries his best to hide his triumphant grin behind the rim of his glass. Although they’d held eye contact multiple times already, his eyes remain on the dancefloor, studying the way the neon lights flash and make the bodies blur in motion.

‘I haven’t seen you before.’

His voice is deeper than he’d imagined it would be.

‘I haven’t seen you before, either,’ he replies simply. Eliott doesn’t want to come across eager, knowing that remaining aloof usually makes him seem more appealing to his potential romantic targets.

‘You haven’t seen me _at all_ , yet,’ he says, voice husky and close to Eliott’s ear. So his sudden lack of eye contact had been called out, color him surprised.

Eliott finally allows himself to look at him fully and he wonders why the hell he didn’t do it sooner. There’s a playful smirk starting to stretch across the other boy’s face as he watches Eliott take in the view.

He’s not blind; the guy’s legitimately _beautiful_ up close. His blue eyes practically sparkle under the club lights and Eliott can’t look away. There’s a hint of something sad lurking underneath his cocky expression, though, but he figures it’s not his duty to point it out, even if Eliott’s all too familiar with that feeling.

He gulps down the rest of the disgusting cocktail Sofiane had chosen for him- the man, apparently, has _no_ taste- in order to buy a little time to think about his next move. He winces at the flavor, practically slamming the glass on the table beside him.

The guy lifts his eyebrows, looking mildly impressed. ‘Can I get you another drink?’

Eliott chuckles and tilts his head, considering the option. He looks on, somewhat smugly, as the guy practically melts under his intense stare. ‘Only if I can get your name.’

It could just be the light playing on the other boy’s cheekbones, but Eliott’s pretty sure he’s blushing. He glances at something over Eliott’s shoulder and then returns his gaze, seeming to steel himself. ‘Lucas.’

Eliott focuses on his lips as he says his name. If there’d been any doubt in his mind before (which, of course, there hadn’t been), Eliott is now certain he has to dance with Lucas. There’s something about the mix of nervousness and cockiness that’s really doing something for Eliott. Although he had his eyes on him all night, the urge to feel Lucas’ body move to the music in time with his own overwhelms him.

‘Well, Lucas, how about we skip the drink and go straight to dancing?’ He watches as Lucas’ breath seems to hitch when Eliott places a hand on his arm, sliding it down the expanse of skin before linking their hands together. His brows jump suggestively, eyes boring into Lucas’. ‘I’m Eliott, by the way.’

Lucas swallows, staring at their interlocked hands for a moment before flicking his gaze back to Eliott’s. A smirk teases at the corners of his mouth and he stumbles a little, dragging Eliott into the mass of swaying bodies without warning.

They end up pressed against at least five other people, but Eliott’s really only aware of the areas where Lucas’ body meets his. Lucas’ hands easily find Eliott’s hips, guiding his movements. He slots his arms perfectly around the shorter boy’s shoulders, connecting their foreheads as they sway. He’s not sure they’re matching the beat, but he can’t find it in him to care.

Eliott nearly passes out when Lucas suddenly grows bold and bites his bottom lip, snapping their hips together. It surprises him in the best way, a ripple of heat shooting through him at the contact. He likes to think he gives as good as he gets, so he decides to thread his fingers through the hair at the back of Lucas’ neck and gently pulls. He beams at the sight of Lucas’ pupils dilating.

The bass washes over them as the beat picks up, bodies moving in sync and friction in all the right places. Eliott’s practically panting at this point, desperate for more contact. Lucas’ fingers spasm against his waist when Eliott tugs at his hair again.

Because Eliott’s a masochist, he doesn’t lean in to finally kiss Lucas just yet. Instead, he opts to spin Lucas around and draw his back flush against his torso. His dancing seems to stutter momentarily and Eliott feels him huff out a startled laugh. He places his lips on the exposed column of Lucas’ neck, nipping lightly at his skin. His throat vibrates with what Eliott can only assume is a groan and he smiles into his neck in response. Lucas reaches back and loops his fingers in Eliott’s hair, encouraging him to keep going.

When the song changes, Lucas takes the opportunity to turn back around in his arms and pull Eliott in for a kiss. He instantly reciprocates, hands moving to place themselves on either side of Lucas’ face. Their mouths move in harmony, tongues sliding together and teeth biting at lips. He feels electric, the alcohol and Lucas’ presence clouding his brain as he pushes himself impossibly closer.

He’s not sure if it’s Lucas or the alcohol that’s affecting him more, he just knows he’s intoxicated enough to not be able to distinguish when they migrated from the dancefloor to the wall beside the bar. Lucas’ hands are everywhere, pulling at his clothes, his hair and his lips with his _teeth_. His mind’s all over the place, scrambling to register every one of Lucas’ movements.

Eliott knows he’s making some obscene noises but, thankfully, the heavy bassline swallows the sounds. He slips his fingertips under the hem of Lucas’ shirt, finding contact with the smooth skin of his back. He feels Lucas shudder, pressing ever closer to Eliott.

Reluctantly, Eliott pulls away, eyes trained on Lucas’ kiss swollen lips. ‘Do you want to get out of here?’ It’s cliché and he sounds completely out of breath, but it works. Lucas nods enthusiastically.

With Lucas latched onto his neck, Eliott’s hands shake as he fishes out his phone and orders an Uber. Laughing, he grabs Lucas’ hand and leads him out of the club. Distantly, he hears a few cheers follow them out.

Lucas stumbles on the last step as they make their way onto the street and Eliott bangs into the wall of the club in his attempt to catch him. They’re overcome with a fit of giggles as the bouncer eyes them warily. Eliott throws his arm around Lucas’ shoulders and presses a sloppy kiss to his forehead, guiding him towards the taxi rank. Lucas’ cheeks are flushed when Eliott looks down at him. He tries to ignore the surge of warmth in his chest at the sight.

‘Aren’t you going to thank me for saving you from certain death?’ Eliott drawls. _Fuck,_ that came out a lot more slurred than he thought it would.

Lucas lets out a snort and shakes his head, glaring up at him. ‘I’m sure I would have been fine.’

Eliott shrugs as he checks his phone for the Uber’s licence plate. ‘I think-‘

He’s suddenly cut off as Lucas drags him in for another kiss. He nearly drops his phone in surprise, but it only takes a moment for him to melt into it. Eliott’s fingers find themselves buried in Lucas’ hair again as their noses knock against each other. Lucas sinks his teeth into Eliott’s lip and, this time, there’s no music to drown Eliott’s answering moan out. He feels Lucas smile against his mouth and rest his hand at the back of his neck.

Just as Eliott is on the cusp of completely losing himself in Lucas, his ringtone sounds, startling them both. It takes a moment for his brain to catch up with situation, and when he answers the phone he sounds positively wrecked.

‘H-hello?’ he stutters. He raises his middle finger when he sees Lucas laughing at him.

‘ _I’m here_.’

‘Uh…’ Eliott’s only confused for a second before he realizes oh yeah, he’d called an Uber. ‘Okay, we’ll be right there.’ He puts down the phone and nudges Lucas upon noticing he’s still chuckling. ‘Stop laughing at me,’ he grumbles.

‘You sound a little out of breath, there,’ Lucas titters, grabbing Eliott’s arm to steady himself as he miscalculates the height of the curb.

‘Did you forget how to walk?’ Eliott shoots back, grinning at Lucas as they cross the road to their waiting cab.

Lucas basically tumbles into the back seat, Eliott quickly following behind. He ensures there’s no space between them, cosying up to Lucas’ side and placing a hand on his knee.

Once they pull away from the curb, their teasing with words morphs into teasing with touches. It starts with Eliott innocently tapping his fingers against Lucas’ jeans and then sliding his hand further up his leg. Lucas responds by leaning into Eliott, securing his mouth to his neck and finishing off the marks he started making in the club. Eliott doesn’t think he can take much more of this; Lucas is driving him wild already and they haven’t even made it back to the apartment.

Eliott grabs the back of Lucas’ head and guides him so their mouths meet again. It’s more languid than their earlier kisses but still filled with heat. Eliott can’t get enough, stroking Lucas’ cheek before his hand makes its way to the neck of his shirt.

A loud cough breaks them apart, both of their heads whipping to the front of the car.

‘Uhm… We’re here,’ the driver says sheepishly, awkwardly drumming his fingers on the top of the steering wheel.

Lucas hides his face in the space between Eliott’s neck and shoulder to stifle a laugh.

‘Thank you!’ Eliott manages to force out, voice a little too loud. He grabs Lucas’ hand and practically drags him out of the cab. It only takes a few seconds of no contact before Lucas is on him again, grabbing his face and crashing their lips together.

Eliott staggers backwards in the general direction of his apartment block, one arm locked around Lucas’ waist and the other foraging around in his pocket for his keys.

‘Hang on a second,’ Eliott chuckles breathlessly, already missing the warmth of Lucas’ lips when he breaks away. He pulls Lucas by the hand to the front door and unlocks it, almost tripping across the threshold. He’s not proud of how quickly he makes it up the stairs to his flat but, what can he say, he’s eager to have the other boy on him again.

The door swings open and bangs against the wall, but he barely has time to wince before Lucas has captured his lips again, kicking the door shut behind them. Eliott grabs at Lucas’ waist and crowds him against the wall, connecting their hips and grinding down. Lucas lets out a low moan and pushes Eliott back into the table next to the entrance. The wood digs into his lower back as Lucas presses himself against him, but the sensation’s dull compared to the scorch of Lucas’ mouth against his. Eliott fists one hand in Lucas’ hair and secures the other on the other boy’s hip again, grip almost bruising as he deepens the kiss.

He’s not sure who moans, but Eliott decides it’s the signal to move to the bedroom.

Eliott moves to bite lightly at Lucas’ shoulder and switches their positions again. ‘Follow me,’ he says gruffly, pulling at Lucas’ belt loops and walking backwards. The dazed expression on Lucas’ face and his bright red lips send a shiver down Eliott’s spine. He can’t seem to stop himself from kissing him again and again in the short distance between the front door and his bedroom.

They crash unceremoniously into the hallway wall, Eliott playing with Lucas’ zipper and rucking up his shirt. Lucas groans at the feel of Eliott’s fingertips brushing against his bare torso and stretches to wrap his arms around his neck. Something close to a growl rips its way from Eliott’s throat as he tries again to make it to his room.

The bedroom door slams shut behind them to the tune of a steadily vibrating phone.

     
                    


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‘So…’  
> Idriss briefly looks over at him before staring back at the screen. ‘What?’  
> Eliott grins and swings his legs, planting them on the floor so he’s fully facing his friends. ‘Lucas.’  
> ‘What about him?’  
> ‘He was the guy I hooked up with last night.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your lovely comments on the first chapter! Let us know what you think<3
> 
> Lucas: 🌸  
> Eliott: 🍁

 

🌸

_SATURDAY 10:15_

 

Lucas feels warm; the warmest he’s ever felt in a long time. The blinding light seeping through the window hits his face and he slowly opens his eyes. The first thing Lucas sees is skin and he knows for a fact it’s not his. He tries to move to get a clear view of his surroundings, but a pair of strong arms keep him in place. Lucas frowns, _where the hell is he?_ After a few minutes of struggling, he manages to distance himself from the body next to him. He looks at the sight in front of him and forgets how to breathe for a moment. A guy that Lucas barely remembers is sleeping soundly, his face peaceful with soft breaths escaping his mouth.

Lucas squeezes his eyes shut for a few seconds before opening them and realizing that, yes, he is in fact, lying in bed with a living breathing _angel._ The golden light illuminating the room does nothing but make the man look _ethereal_ . Lucas winces when a wave of pain shoots through his head and he brings his hand up to rub it. His movement must have been too abrupt because the guy starts to stir next to him, but to Lucas’s relief, does not wake up. _Just how much did he drink?_ Lucas sighs and, despite himself, continues watching the man sleep. The longer he stares, the clearer the events of last night become in his head.

_He remembers getting to the bar and being hypnotized by the pretty lights dancing around. The bitter taste and burning feeling of the cheap alcohol is still fresh in his mind, compelling him to remember how drunk he was the previous night. He remembers catching eyes with the same man lying next to him and how easy it was to talk to him._

From then on, his memories are a big jumbled mess, and all he can vividly remember are emerald eyes, deeper than the ocean inviting him to drown in them. There are also hands that held him through the whole night and kept his mind from drifting far away to dark places. And that’s when he remembers the guy’s name, Eliott. How did he manage to forget the same name that he kept chanting over and over last night?

Remembering Eliott's name triggers something in Lucas's mind and forces him to remember why he even went to the bar in the first place. _Julian_. He suddenly feels sick when he recalls the whole break up, and the presence of Eliott sleeping next to him doesn’t offer him comfort anymore. _He needs to get out of here as soon as possible_. Lucas hastily gets out of the bed and finds his boxers on the floor next him; he slips them on before searching the room for the rest of his clothes. He finds them in various places and puts them on without much care to his appearance. He finds his phone and keys on the floor and picks them up. Lucas walks to the bedroom door and throws a last look at Eliott who is still peacefully sleeping. He almost feels terrible for leaving without saying goodbye. Elliott seems like a good guy and clearly doesn't deserve this kind of treatment. Lucas shakes his head and leaves the room. _It’s not like he’s ever going to see him again_.

It doesn't take long for him to leave the apartment complex and call an Uber to go back home. Once he’s in the vehicle, he tries to take some deep breaths and relax as much as possible. _It's fine; it was just sex_. Nothing serious. He nods to himself, trying to drill the idea into his head. Lucas takes out his phone from his back pocket and goes to his Instagram in hopes of both catching up on what he missed and clearing his head.

The first thing he sees are cute posts of dogs, and his mood instantly gets better. After scrolling for a few more minutes, he comes across a post from Basile from last night.

Lucas lets out a small laugh at his friends’ antics and feels a small sense of relief knowing that his favorite hoodie is safe and sound. He had a mini panic attack when he couldn't find it in Eliott’s apartment and sadly accepted the fact that it was lost. The car ride to his place doesn’t take that long and Lucas practically dashes out of the vehicle and into the apartment complex.

When he walks into his apartment, he sees Arthur and Basile laying on the couch in the most uncomfortable positions he’s ever seen. He hears a noise from the kitchen and walks over to see Yann making coffee. Lucas takes a look at him and Yann looks like he’s about to pass out at any moment. Lucas hopes he doesn't look half as wrecked as he does. Yann notices him after some time and gives him a lazy smile.

‘Oh look who decided to grace us with his presence. How was last night?’ he says in a teasing voice.

‘To be honest, I don’t remember much.’

'Do you want me to refresh your memories?’ Lucas is about to say _no_ but Yann cuts him off. ‘You ditched us for some model. I was actually shocked by how quick you guys got it on, like damn Lucas; I don't blame you like if I swung that way I-’

‘Okay that’s enough! I’ll be in my room sleeping this headache off. Don’t come in unless the apartment building is burning,’ Lucas holds up his hand in protest.

Yann looks like he wants to say something else, but the signal from the coffee machine catches his attention and Lucas takes the distraction as an opportunity to flee to his room.

He remembers to lock the door this time and immediately falls on his bed, letting the pillow engulf his face. He sighs deeply into it and lets all the stress dissipate from his body as he closes his eyes. Lucas will never tell anyone, but the last thing on his mind before sleep takes over him is Eliott’s peaceful, sleeping face.  

 

🍁

_SATURDAY 12:26_

 

Waking up to an empty bed isn’t unusual for Eliott, but for some reason this time it stings. His head throbs dully as he sits up and regards his room. Last night’s outfit litters the floorboards in a trail leading to his bed. His curtains are open, letting in a stream of early afternoon sunlight that only serves to intensify his headache.

The other side of the mattress is cold, so he assumes Lucas left a while ago. He sighs and nibbles at his bottom lip, attempting to draw enough motivation to get up and make himself some coffee. It’s the glaring sunlight that eventually gets him to move, almost tripping on his covers as he stumbles out of bed to close the curtains.

Somehow, he manages to pull on some boxers, grab his phone and haul himself to the kitchen, turning on his coffee machine and inhaling the smell. His hangover isn’t as fierce as he was expecting, considering all the cocktails, but he still feels like shit. The faint ache in his joints makes him smile, though. Despite his drunkenness, he’d definitely more than satisfied himself and Lucas last night; he’d practically made Lucas _scream_. The cuddling afterwards had been a nice surprise, too.

While he’s waiting for his drink, he scrolls absentmindedly through his phone, inevitably finding his way to Instagram. Eliott jumps a little as the device buzzes in his hands.

 

 **Idriss:** are you free to meet up or are you still otherwise engaged 😏

 

Eliott rolls his eyes at his phone and takes a sip of his scalding hot coffee. The liquid burns his mouth as he types out his response, but in his zombified state he barely notices.

 

_Funny._

_Yeah I’m free_

**Idriss:** why do you sound so grumpy? you left with someone last night, correct?

 **Idriss:** or did my eyes deceive me…

_I’ll be over in 20 mins 🙄_

**Idriss:** so no details?

_🙃_

 

Eliott titters at his phone and then slides it into the waistband of his boxers before painfully draining the rest of his drink. He discards the mug in the sink and huffs as he drags himself back to his room to fetch some fresh clothes, deciding to clear away his old ones while he’s there. His hand comes into contact with an unfamiliar object as he picks up last night’s jeans. Frowning, he moves the fabric to reveal a battered leather wallet. A smile creeps across his lips as he connects the dots.

His fingers easily open it and study the contents; a selection of cards and a small photo of Lucas and, what he assumes are, his friends. He bites his lip and fishes out the first card. It’s a student ID for the same university Eliott himself attends. _Interesting_. Eliott’s got time to prepare himself for an awkward post hookup run-in with _Lucas Lallemant_ on campus, then. Not that he wants it to be uncomfortable, it’s just usually how it goes.

Eliott stares at the ID a little longer- possibly enough for it to appear creepy- as he debates with himself. He realizes he’s got to get the wallet back to Lucas, there’s no doubt about that; he’s just not entirely sure of the best angle to approach him. Perhaps he needs to somehow orchestrate said awkward post hookup run-in.

Eliott curses when he notices the time. He places the wallet gently on his nightstand and hurries to gather some semblance of an outfit before hightailing it to his bathroom to shower.

Washing away the smell of stale alcohol that’s clung to him since leaving the club feels wonderful. It also brings his mind back to details of last night’s events. Lucas wrapped around him, Lucas moaning beneath him, Lucas saying his name over and over again. Eliott shivers under the warm spray as he rakes his hands through his wet hair. In spite of the alcohol damage, he knows he’s not forgetting that night any time soon.

He dries himself off quickly and steps into his ripped jeans, leaving the zipper open as he flounders around his apartment to gather his things. His gaze catches on the wallet again as he shoulders on his t-shirt and his tan jacket. He searches in his pocket for his tobacco and then begins to roll a cigarette for the journey as his mind whirrs. Eliott’s phone vibrates with an Instagram notification and that’s when it hits him.

Eliott locks his door behind him as he leaves his apartment and makes his way down the building stairs, flashes of stumbling up the very same stairway with Lucas in tow invading his head. When he reaches the pavement, he lights his cigarette and pulls up the search bar on Instagram as he walks.

_Lucas Lallemant._

It doesn’t take him long at all to find the account, recognizing the other boy instantly. He switches between glancing at the street in front of him so he doesn’t bump into anyone and his screen, scrolling through Lucas’ Instagram.

He can’t seem to help himself, taking his time scanning over the photos as he smokes and _no way_. He nearly collides with a middle-aged woman as he stares at one particular picture from early last year. Lucas and two of his friends standing in front of a bar Eliott definitely recognizes. He checks the date and, sure enough, Eliott had been at that bar too for a friend’s birthday. Small fucking world.

As Eliott approaches Idriss’ house, he drops his cigarette, closes the app and texts Idriss to let him know he’s there. He pulls at his bottom lip with his teeth for a moment before he opens Lucas’ page again and swiftly follows him.

‘You took your time,’ Idriss says as he opens the gate, pulling Eliott into a one-armed hug. Eliott returns it, slapping Idriss on the back.

‘You didn’t give me much notice,’ he replies simply, sauntering past Idriss and making his way into the house. He can vaguely hear Idriss grumbling behind him about how Eliott was the one who said he’d be over in twenty minutes, but he pays no mind to it.

‘Eliott!’ Sofiane greets chirpily as he enters the living room. The TV blares a Fort Boyard re-run as he takes off his coat and plops himself down next to Sofiane on the couch. Sofiane throws his arm around Eliott’s shoulders and squeezes him before returning to his side of the sofa. Idriss squishes gracelessly in between them and grabs the remote to lower the volume.

‘Eliott, man, you’ve gotta give me more than an emoji,’ he says, raising his eyebrows.

Eliott pretends to be clueless, pursing his lips and shaking his head slowly. ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’

‘It wasn’t even a _suggestive_ emoji,’ Sofiane mutters.

‘Oh, so you’re sharing my texts with each other, now? Truly, the closest of brothers in law,’ Eliott laughs, basking in Sofiane’s embarrassed expression.

Idriss points at Eliott accusingly. ‘Hey, don’t even go there. He can barely even look at her without blushing, we’re light years away from a wedding.’

‘Can you stop,’ Sofiane grumbles, placing his palm over his face to hide his blush.

Loudly, Idriss starts bellowing _Here Comes the Bride_ and even Sofiane can’t help but break down laughing.

‘Idriss!’ Imane hisses, abruptly appearing in the doorway. All three boys cease their laughter and whip their heads around. Imane seems to blanche a little when she makes eye contact with Sofiane but lets out a short breath and steels herself. ‘Can you guys keep it down? I’m about to invite a friend over to study.’

Eliott coughs and scratches the back of his neck uncomfortably. The other two don’t really seem affected; Sofiane’s love-heart eyes are still intact and Idriss just looks entertained.

‘My darling sister, of course, anything for you,’ Idriss drawls, blowing her a kiss.

Imane crosses her arms and rolls her eyes. ‘Go play in your room.’

‘As you wish,’ Idriss says, dramatically bowing after he gets up from the couch. Imane sighs and turns to leave, muttering under her breath.

Eliott pats Sofiane on the back sympathetically as he follows the boys up the stairs to Idriss’ room.

 

🌸

_SATURDAY 13:52_

 

Lucas wakes up well past noon. The light in his room is a pretty mixture of orange and fire red. He yawns and stretches himself until he feels the knots in his body unravel. He lets out a happy sigh and takes his phone from the night stand next to him. While he was sleeping, he managed to receive quite a few notifications. Most of them are from Instagram and one in particular catches his attention.

_srodulv?_ He has no idea who this account belongs to and just as he is about to click on the account to find out, he gets a text from Imane.

 

 **Imane** : hey

_hi_

**Imane** : are u doing anything today?

_no why?_

**Imane** : do u want to come to my house to study? We have our final exams coming up

_yeah sure i’ll be over in about half an hour_

**Imane** : cool see u soon

_see u_

 

Lucas quickly gets out of bed and changes clothes. He leaves his room and sees Yann, Arthur, and Basile playing video games in the living room. They are speaking in hushed voices and the TV is on mute. Lucas smiles, thinking that he really has the best friends in the world. But he’ll never tell them that. He makes his presence known by standing in front of the TV, thus blocking their view. All three of them let out frustrated shouts and Yann even throws an empty can of soda at him. He misses and Lucas laughs at them.

‘Guys I am going out. Imane asked me to study at her place.’

‘Okay whatever, just go, we need to finish this round,’ Basile responds in a distracted tone.

‘Wow, really feeling the love right now.’

‘I would love you more if you moved away from the TV,’ Arthur says.

‘Fine, I get it. I’ll go. And don’t touch my macarons in the fridge! They were really expensive.’

‘Yeah, whatever, just go,’ Yann says waving him off.

‘I’m serious, I will murder you in your sleep.’ Lucas moves away from the TV and tries to sound as threatening as possible, but it doesn't matter because none of them are paying attention to him anymore. He shakes his head and leaves the apartment.

 

_\---_

 

When he gets to Imane’s house, he sends her a text saying that he arrived. A few moments later, she comes out of the house and opens the gate for him. He lets her lead him to the living room where her books and study materials are spread on the table. He takes a seat next to her, and they start studying. They are in the middle of a biology problem when three people come in the room in a fit of laughter. Lucas looks up and almost has a heart attack when he sees Eliott standing in the doorway laughing at something the other two are saying. He quickly looks down at his books, trying to make himself as small as possible.

‘Oh Imane, there you are,’ one of the guys says. ‘I didn't know you were having a guest over.’

‘What do you mean you didn't know. I told you a few minutes ago that my friend is coming over to study,’ she rolls her eyes and glances at the boy on his left. ‘Hi Sofiane,’ she says smile evident in her voice.

The boy, Sofiane, looks at her with a big smile on his face, ‘Oh yeah, umm hi.’

‘Why are you saying hi like we didn't just see each other a few minutes ago?’

‘So you do remember me telling you I was having a guest over.’

‘I don't know what you are talking about,’ the guy turns to Lucas. ‘Imane, would you mind introducing us?’

‘Whatever. Lucas, this is my brother Idriss. Idriss, this my friend Lucas. He’s in the same program as me.’

‘Oh, that's Lucas?’ Idriss extends his hand and Lucas nervously takes it. ‘I've heard a lot about you. Nice to finally meet you,’ he says with a smile.

Lucas shakes his hand and smiles back at him, ‘I've heard about you too. Nice to meet you as well.’

Throughout the whole exchange, Lucas feels Eliott's piercing eyes on him, and tries to ignore it and fails miserably.    

Elliott throws his arms around Idriss’s neck and asks, ‘Aren't you going to introduce me too?’ His voice sends a shiver down Lucas's body. He is brought back to the previous night when the same voice was whispering things in his ears that he does not want to think about right now, in risk of putting himself in an embarrassing situation. Elliott’s question is directed towards Imane, but Eliott's eyes are glued to Lucas. He tries to make himself as small as possible and attempts to avoid his eyes.

‘Oh yeah, my bad. Lucas, this is Eliott, my brother's friend. And Eliott, this is Lucas.’

Lucas brings his eyes back to Eliott and sees him smirking at him. He entangles his arms away from Idriss and extends a hand to Lucas.

‘Nice to meet you, Lucas. Looking forward to getting to know you,’ his voice is teasing and Lucas wants nothing more than to wipe the smug look off his face. That's why he suppresses his shyness and looks directly into Elliot's eyes and smirks at him. He takes his hand in his and shakes it, ‘Looking forward to it too.’ Lucas gently squeezes Eliott's hand before letting go and he gets a small sense of pride when Eliott's hand stays stuck in air for a few moments.

They don't break from their staring contest until Idriss’s cough snaps them out of it.

‘Yeah okay, so we’ll leave you two alone.’

‘That would be nice, yeah,’ Imane says to her brother, sarcasm heavy in her voice.

Idriss rolls his eyes and pulls Eliott by the arm to make him follow him and Sofiane out the room. ‘Bye, Sofiane,’ Imane says.

‘Oh yeah, bye Imane,’ he responds with a wide smile, cheeks darkening.

 _Whipped,_ Lucas hears Idriss say as they walk out. Eliott is the last one out and he throws Lucas one last look before exiting.

The room is dead silent and Lucas doesn't dare to say anything, instead opting to pretend nothing happened. He instantly goes back to reading his notes in mock interest.

‘What the heck was that Lucas?’

‘What?’ he asks, oblivious.

‘That thing between you and Eliott,’ she waves her pen around Lucas and the living room entrance to get her point across.

‘I don't know what you’re talking about.’

‘Yeah right, you two looked like you were about to do each other right in front of us.’

Lucas stops “reading” and looks at her in shock. He feels his cheeks warm up.

‘I-’ Lucas doesn't know what to say to that so he tries to change the topic instead. ‘You have no right to question me when you and Sofiane had whatever that was.’

He watches as Imane’s eyes widen and she turns away from him. ‘There’s nothing going on. I was simply being nice; is that a crime?’

‘Right, sure I believe you,’ he smiles at her. ‘Hi Sofiane!’ he mocks making his voice high pitched.

Imane takes her notes from the table and roughly hits his arm with it. He fakes pain and starts laughing when she actually gets worried.

‘I hate you,’ she says with a laugh.

He hums and they go back to studying. A few moments pass before he feels his phone light up. He checks it and sees that it’s a notification from Instagram. He unlocks his phone and realizes he got a DM from the mysterious account that followed him earlier today.

 

 **srodulv:** you look really hot today

_I’m sorry who is this?_

**srodulv:** seriously Lucas?

_You even know my name really who are u? Do I need to call the police?_

**srodulv:** Lol really? Maybe if you check my profile you’ll find out

 

Lucas didn't bother looking at the profile picture before clicking on the message. He frowns and takes a look. He gasps when he sees Eliott’s face staring back at him.

 

 **srodulv:** get it now?

 

He doesn't know what to say so he decides to ignore it.

 

 **srodulv:** Lucas?

 **srodulv:** yk i can see that you’re reading this right?

 **srodulv:** okay if that’s how you want to be, i’ll leave you alone

 

Lucas sighs in relief.

 

 **srodulv:** for now

 

What the heck is that supposed to mean?

‘Fuck.’

Imane looks over to him in confusion and he just shakes his head, which makes her go back to studying. Lucas tries to do the same, but can’t concentrate with Eliott’s words in his head.

 

🍁

 

Eliott smiles smugly at his phone before putting it back in his pocket. Idriss and Sofiane are wrapped up in the video game on the TV, not noticing Eliott’s little exchange. He tips his head back against Idriss’ headboard before glancing back over at the other two.

‘So…’

Idriss briefly looks over at him before staring back at the screen. ‘What?’

Eliott grins and swings his legs, planting them on the floor so he’s fully facing his friends. ‘Lucas.’

‘What about him?’

‘He was the guy I hooked up with last night.’

Sofiane’s eyes widen and Idriss hurries to pause the game, turning his full attention to Eliott. ‘Imane’s study buddy Lucas? Seriously? _That’s_ who you went off with?’

‘I mean, I did notice some tension in the room,’ Sofiane says with a shrug.

‘So did I, but it was definitely coming from you and Imane,’ Eliott shoots back with a raised eyebrow. Sofiane blushes at this and shuffles on his spot on the floor. Idriss slaps Eliott’s knee before leaning back and grinning.

‘So you like him, then?’

Eliott squints a little as he thinks about his response. Technically, it was supposed to be a meaningless hookup. _Technically_. But there’s something about the feeling he gets from teasing Lucas that really makes him want to think otherwise. ‘I don’t know…’

Idriss shares a knowing look with Sofiane before jumping up from his seat. ‘Okay. Eliott, come with me. Sofiane, stay here, it’s important.’

Eliott furrows his brow as Idriss physically drags him up from the bed. Sofiane dutifully stays behind, not even questioning why.

‘What’s happening?’ he asks as he almost trips on the top step.

‘Let’s just say I’m about to give you an early birthday present,’ Idriss chuckles as Eliott’s frown deepens.

As they near the bottom of the stairs, Eliott catches the tail end of Imane and Lucas’ conversation.

‘…Was it about Jul?’ Imane asks softly.

‘ _Why_ do we need to talk about this? Is this why you invited me over?’

He hears Imane scoff as they reach the doorway. ‘Lucas, of course no-‘

‘Who’s Jul?’ Eliott asks, a prickle of irrational jealousy shooting through him. Imane and Lucas’ heads snap up, both of their expressions irritated at the interruption.

‘No one,’ Lucas practically growls, throwing an annoyed look in Imane’s direction before re-adjusting himself in his seat. Eliott doesn’t believe him, but isn’t allowed the opportunity to question him further as Idriss begins to speak.

‘Hey, Lucas,’ Idriss says, beaming over at Eliott. Eliott’s instantly suspicious. Lucas looks up from his books and flits his eyes back and forth between the two of them.

‘Uh, hey.’

Eliott narrows his eyes and remains standing as Idriss takes the seat next to Lucas. Imane’s also looking highly apprehensive, glaring at her brother over the top of her textbook.

‘We’re having a party next weekend for mine and Eliott’s birthdays…’ Idriss starts, glancing over at Eliott again. Okay, he knows where this is going, and if he’s honest? He’s not sure if he minds.

‘Con…gratulations?’ Lucas replies slowly.

Idriss chuckles at Lucas’ response and places a hand on his shoulder. ‘What I’m saying is, you should come.’

Imane drops her book and leans towards Lucas, suddenly smiling. ‘ _Yes_ , you’re coming. The girls are going to be there as well, so you should bring the boys.’

Idriss nods once and pats Lucas’ shoulder. ‘Great!’

‘Um, actually I-‘

Eliott’s not sure how Imane can change her expression so fast and so severely, but she’s now pinning Lucas with a stern look that leaves no room for argument. ‘You’re coming. You don’t get out enough, anyway.’

Idriss covers his mouth with his fist and lets out a low whistle. Imane grins to herself and picks up her pen to resume her note taking.

‘Thanks, Imane,’ Lucas sighs before turning his attention back to her brother. ‘Sure, I’ll go.’

‘Imane will sort you out with the details I’m sure,’ Idriss says before smoothly transitioning into the next stage of his plan. ‘Speaking of my wonderful sister, Sofiane wants to talk to you.’

Eliott can’t believe Idriss is doing this, but he thinks he knows where he’s going with this and, looking at Imane’s face, he figures his plan is working.

‘Why?’ Imane asks, seeming on edge.

Idriss shrugs casually. ‘Why don’t you ask him?’

Imane’s eyes roll as she gets up out of her chair and cautiously leaves the room. A slightly awkward silence settles over the three of them before Idriss coughs lightly and grins.

‘Well, I’m suddenly overcome with thirst. Do either of you want anything?’

 _Wow, Idriss, smooth._ Eliott and Lucas shake their heads in unison. Idriss’ grin only intensifies as he stands up and nods, pointing towards the kitchen. He snickers as he leaves Eliott and Lucas cloaked in quietness.

They lock eyes in silence for an undetermined amount of time before Lucas finally exhales and stands up, making his way over to Eliott. Something in Eliott’s gut twitches at the proximity, asking him to get closer and reminding him exactly _how_ close they were the night before. He has the urge to bring up this _Jul_ guy again but decides he would rather keep Lucas sweet for now and worry about what made Lucas so mad later.

‘So you somehow found my Instagram,’ Lucas starts awkwardly. Eliott beams at him and nods. ‘...So you stalked me,’ Lucas adds bluntly.

Eliott scoffs. ‘I wouldn’t call it stalking.’

Lucas continues to stare at him warily. ‘What _would_ you call it then?’

Eliott draws his shoulders up in an over exaggerated shrug. He feels the familiar urge to flirt wash over him; he might as well have a little fun with this. ‘I’d call it finding your wallet under the jeans you so kindly tore off me last night.’

‘Stalking _and_ theft, wow, things aren’t looking good for you,’ Lucas says, cocking an eyebrow and decidedly ignoring the latter part of the sentence. Eliott rolls his eyes and smirks.

‘I see a hot date in my future so, really, I’d say things are actually looking up.’

A light blush colors Lucas’ cheeks at that, but he quickly clears his throat and shakes his head. ‘I doubt it.’

Eliott purses his lips and scrunches up his face, dramatically clutching at his chest. ‘Lucas, you wound me.’

‘Shut up,’ Lucas chuckles, shaking his head again and staring up at Eliott in amusement.

Eliott steps forward so he’s entirely in Lucas’ space. He leans in close and drops his voice to a whisper, completely shifting the mood in the room. ‘There are a few ways you could make me.’

Lucas stares up at him, wide-eyed and breathless. Eliott tracks the motion of his Adam’s apple as he swallows.

He steps back, noting how Lucas almost sways forward to stay in his orbit. Eliott grins, knowing exactly what he’s doing as he says, ‘Maybe you could show me exactly how you’d make me at my party.’

Lucas jerks his head as if to clear it and coughs. ‘You wish.’

Eliott winks and grabs his jacket from where he’d slung it over the back of the sofa earlier and begins to walk backwards towards the door. ‘I’ll see you there.’

With that, he makes his (pretty cool, if he says so himself) exit, practically skipping down the steps towards the gate. He takes out his phone and taps an excuse out to Idriss before putting on his jacket and starting his journey back to his apartment.

 

_SATURDAY 21:19_

 

Later, as he’s hunched over his portfolio smudging the lines of his newest piece of coursework with his fingers, his phone buzzes twice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [lovebird1517](http://lovebird1517.tumblr.com) [eliottsmec](http://eliottsmec.tumblr.com) [cheloueliott](http://cheloueliott.tumblr.com)  
> cover art: [starcassstic](http://starcassstic.tumblr.com)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‘Hi,’ a voice says next to his ears.  
> Lucas jumps a little and turns around to see Eliott smiling down on him.  
> ‘You scared me.’  
> ‘Sorry, that wasn't my intention.’  
> The amused tone of his voice tells Lucas otherwise.  
> ‘Yeah, right. Can I get my wallet back now?’  
> ‘Sure.’ Lucas watches as Eliott’s arms flex when he digs in the pocket of his shorts to pull out his wallet. ‘Here,’ Eliott hands him the wallet and just as Lucas was about to take it, retrieves it back. Lucas lets out a frustrated sigh and looks at Eliott with what he hopes is a murderous look - it’s not.  
> ‘Not so fast. Since you’re here, I want to show you around the building.’  
> ‘Why?’  
> Eliott shrugs, ‘Just ‘cause.’ He walks past Lucas and only stops when he notices Lucas isn’t following him.  
> ‘You coming?’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for the wonderful response!<3  
> Note the rating change 😏
> 
> Lucas: 🌸  
> Eliott: 🍁

 

 

🌸

_SUNDAY 10:32_

Lucas is having breakfast with Yann when his phone lights up next to him. He grabs it and sees it’s a DM from Eliott.

**srodulv:** I keep hearing your moans in my head

Lucas chokes on his cereal earning him a weird look from Yann. Lucas takes a sip of his orange juice and tries to act as normal as possible.

_okay?_

**srodulv:** you sounded amazing. Can’t get you out of my head

_thanks?_

**srodulv:** you’re welcome.

_so r u going to give me back my wallet or?_

**srodulv:** come get it

_Eliott_

**srodulv:** Lucas

_seriously?_

**srodulv:** fine

 **srodulv:** meet me tomorrow at school in the art building

_ok_

_wait how do u even know we go to the same uni?_

**srodulv:** intuition?

_Eliott_

**srodulv:** what?

_did u go through my wallet?_

**srodulv:** perhaps

_u are such a stalker_

_i should really go to the police and put u in jail_

**srodulv:** you do that and you will never see me again

_really considering it rn_

**srodulv:** ouch lucas and here i thought we had something nice going on

_i don’t know what u r talking about_

**srodulv:** this is why they say never to trust the pretty ones

_whatever_

**srodulv:** looking forward to seeing you tomorrow

_cool_

 

Lucas locks his phone not waiting for Elliot’s answer. He brings his eyes up to see Yann looking at him with a sly smile.

‘Who was that?’

‘No one.’

‘Well whoever they are, they must really be something to make you smile so early in the morning.’

Lucas rolls his eyes and gets up from the dining table taking his bowl of cereal with him. He goes to his room and quickly shuts the door muffling the voice of Yann trying to get an answer out of him.

_MONDAY 13:15_

The intense and stinging heat from the sun beats down on Lucas as he makes his way to the university's art building. He pulls on the collar of his baggy grey shirt to allow some air in. He takes the steps two at a time and breathes out a sigh of relief when the cool air of the air conditioning hits him once he enters the building. Lucas wipes his sweaty hands on his skinny jeans and runs them through his hair, looking around the lobby for Eliott.

‘Hi,’ a voice says next to his ears.

Lucas jumps a little and turns around to see Eliott smiling down on him. He is wearing a black snapback, a black shirt with khaki shorts, and a pair of sneakers. Lucas looks at him up and down and brings his eyes back to Eliott’s face when the other coughs. Eliott has a smug look on his face and Lucas rolls his eyes at him.

‘You scared me.’

‘Sorry, that wasn't my intention.’

The amused tone of his voice tells Lucas otherwise.

‘Yeah, right. Can I get my wallet back now?’

‘Sure.’ Lucas watches as Eliott’s arms flex when he digs in the pocket of his shorts to pull out his wallet. ‘Here,’ Eliott hands him the wallet and just as Lucas was about to take it, retrieves it back. Lucas lets out a frustrated sigh and looks at Eliott with what he hopes is a murderous look - _it’s not_.

‘Not so fast. Since you’re here, I want to show you around the building.’

‘Why?’

Eliott shrugs, ‘Just ‘cause.’ He walks past Lucas and only stops when he notices Lucas isn’t following him.

‘You coming?’ When he doesn’t move nor answer, Eliott huffs, walks back to him, takes his hand in his, and gently drags him through the hallway. He brings them to a large room packed with various types of artworks.

Lucas can hear Eliott saying something really meaningful about the different artworks hanging around the walls, but he can’t concentrate with Eliott's hand still wrapped in his. It’s doing things to him; what kind of things he doesn't know. What he does know is that he feels his cheeks warm up when Eliott turns to him with a toothy grin, eyes glimmering with excitement.

‘Do you like it?’

‘What?’ he asks in daze.

Eliott chuckles and shakes his head. ‘This,’ he points to a painting hanging on the wall in front of them.

Lucas looks at it but all he sees are random lines criss crossing. ‘I guess,’ he says with a shrug. Elliot looks at him with a shocked face.

‘You guess? Wow Lucas, I expected more from you. This is a beautiful work of art. Look, the artist is showing how their feelings are all mixed up and how it’s hard for them to show the world who they really are.’

Lucas looks at the painting once again. He really tries to examine it, but he still doesn't see what the big deal is.

‘If you say so.’

Eliott shakes his head at him, ‘you clearly don't have any artistry in you.’

‘Excuse me?’ Lucas says slightly offended. ‘Just because I can't see the hype about this painting doesn't mean I don’t know what art is.’

‘Yeah?’

‘Yeah. I’ll have you know I minor in photography, and I have a high grade in my class so,’ he responds with pride.

‘Really?’ Eliott looks at him with with awe in his eyes. ‘I do modelling in my free time. Maybe someday you can take pictures of me.’

‘You model? Of course you do,’ Lucas says, checking out Eliott’s whole body. He doesn't miss the proud look on Eliott’s face when he does. ‘What kind of modeling?’

‘All kinds. Fashion, fitness, art, oh and sometimes I model for my art class,’ he turns to Lucas and gives him a smirk. ‘Nude modeling.’

Lucas’ breath hitches but he tries to not make it obvious because he knows Eliott would mercilessly tease him for it.

‘Cool, so are we done here?’ he asks to change the topic.

‘You really want to get rid of me that fast?’ Elliott responds with a chuckle.

‘Yes,’ he laughs when the smile drops off Eliott's face. ‘Kidding, it's just that I really need to go; I have class in,’ he checks his watch, ‘fifteen minutes and the science building is really far from here.’

‘I wouldn't have taken you as the studious type.’

Lucas looks around to make sure nobody is watching and walks closer to Eliott. He stands on his tippy toes and brings his lips closer to Eliott’s ears. ‘What can I say? I am full of surprises,’ smirk evident in his voice.

‘Yeah? What kind?’ Eliott's voice is a bit shaky, and Lucas feels pride swell inside of him.

‘The kind that I would gladly show you when I am not in a hurry.’ Lucas makes sure to _drag_ his fingers over Eliott's chest to get his point across. Eliott's breath hitches, and Lucas feels him lean in his touch. He takes the fact that Eliott is entirely unaware of his surroundings as an opportunity to slide his hand in the pocket of his shorts to take out his wallet. He leans back and feels Eliott chase after him. He looks wrecked and breathless, and Lucas smiles cockily to himself because _he_ did _that_ . He made a guy like Eliott _lose control_ just by saying a few words to him.

‘See you soon,’ he waves his wallet around.

He doesn't wait for Eliott's answer and quickly leaves. The smile on his face doesn't disappear until he gets to class and his professor announces that they have a pop quiz.

_TUESDAY 12:14_

 

Lucas’ professor cancelled the only class he had today, so he is currently laying on his bed, snacks and drinks surrounding him like a fence. He’s aimlessly scrolling through Instagram when he sees a new post from Eliott. He attempts to disregard the smile that spreads across his face as he automatically likes the picture.

Lucas is a little confused at the contents of the photo and the caption until he moves further down his feed and sees Idriss’ post.

Lucas finds himself staring at the picture for a lot longer than strictly necessary but snaps out of it as a DM shows up in his inbox. He elects to ignore his blush as he taps on the message, feeling as if he’s been caught doing something he shouldn’t.

 

 **srodulv:** where is my happy birthday wish?

_i thought your birthday is saturday_

**srodulv:** that’s just the celebration

 **srodulv:** today is my actual birthday

_cool_

**srodulv:** come on Lucas

_…_

**srodulv:** i see how it is...

 **srodulv:** before I forget I am having a pre-party before we go to the bar where the actual party will be. There will be food and games.

 **srodulv:** you’re invited

_who says I’m going to the party in the first place?_

**srodulv:** Imane didn’t really give you a choice did she?

_fine I’ll come to your pre-party but I’m bringing my friends_

**srodulv:** no problem

 

Lucas bites his lips and contemplates for a second before he says _fuck it._

 

_happy birthday🎉🎉_

**srodulv:** who is this? give the phone back to Lucas

_i’m taking it back_

**srodulv:** too late

 **srodulv:** thank you

_you’re welcome_

A smile forms on Lucas’s lips, and he lets his head fall on the wall behind him with a deep sigh.

 

_SATURDAY 20:30_

 

Lucas is having the time of his life. He, Emma, and Manon are laughing wholeheartedly as they watch Yann, Arthur, and Idriss painfully tangle their long limbs on the twister mat. _It’s what they get for being so tall_. On the other side of the room, he watches as Basile desperately attempts to flirt with Daphne. He takes a swig of his beer, enjoying the cooling sensation. He feels a gaze on him that’s been there ever since he arrived at the apartment about an hour ago. He doesn’t have to turn around to know it’s Eliott. Only his stare could make him want to hide and show off at the same time. Having alcohol in his system causes Lucas to be a thousand times more bold than when he’s sober so he takes his attention off the game and stares right back at him. Eliott doesn't even flinch, only smiles at him and takes a sip of his drink without breaking eye contact. A loud giggle draws Lucas’s attention away from Eliott to Imane and Sofiane who are standing at the living room entrance. Imane is dying of laughter, and Sofiane is looking at her with gentle eyes. Lucas makes a note to ask Imane about whatever this is later.

‘Eliott, what’s up?’ The question comes from one of the many guys in this place he doesn't know. In fact, the only people Lucas is familiar with in this apartment are his boys, the girls, Eliott, Sofiane, and Idriss. Lucas tunes out the rest of the conversation and gets up to make his way to the kitchen for another drink. It's much calmer in here, and he appreciates the quiet. He almost screams when two hands grab his waist and spin him around. Lucas finds himself sandwiched between the fridge and Eliott's body.

‘You really have to stop sneaking up on me like that.’

Eliott’s only response is to smirk and take one of his hands off Lucas’s waist to bring it to the back of his neck. Lucas feels him draw random shapes there and he relaxes in his touch.

‘Are you enjoying yourself?’

Lucas hums in response, too relaxed to mutter words. Eliott takes his hands away, and before Lucas has the chance to miss his touch, brings them both up to cup his face. Lucas looks up at him with his big blue eyes, and Eliott stares right back. He leans down, and Lucas slightly opens his mouth in anticipation of the kiss that’s about to happen.

‘Hey Elio-’ Lucas sighs in frustration and turns to see Idriss standing by the entrance. ‘Sorry to interrupt, but Lucille is on the phone.’ He looks apologetic enough for Lucas forgive him.

He expects Eliott tell Idriss to fuck off so they can continue what they were doing. However, Eliott lets go of him and walks over to Idriss who hands him his phone. He leaves the kitchen, and Lucas stares at Idriss in confusion. He shrugs, ‘We are about to go to the bar. Everyone is leaving already; you coming?’

Lucas nods and follows him out of the room, and he sees people leaving the apartment. He goes back to the living room to get his belongings before walking to the door. He stops when he hears a laugh coming from a nearby hallway. He immediately recognizes the voice and navigates towards it. Sure enough, he sees Eliott on the phone, but Lucas can’t hear what he’s saying because he’s whispering. A weird and uncomfortable feeling washes over Lucas when he sees the wide smile decorating Eliott’s face. He looks _happy_ and not flirty or teasing like he does when he is with him. _Just who is Lucille?_ Having seen enough, he walks back to the door and exits the apartment. He sees the boys waiting for him outside and forces the nasty feeling down in favor of returning their smiles. He won't let whatever he is feeling ruin his night. Plus Eliott doesn't _owe_ him anything; _they are just screwing around, nothing more_.

 

🍁

 

Eliott’s actual birthday on the Tuesday had passed without any real fanfare; now he gets to _truly_ celebrate.

As soon as they get to the bar, Eliott’s friends buy him a line of shots. He loses sight of Lucas as he begins to down them. He tries not to let it bother him too much as his friends cheer him on, providing a decent enough distraction. Eliott feels slightly queasy after he’s polished off the last sickly-sweet shot but doesn’t have much time to recover before Idriss is drawing him in for a massive bear hug, spilling a bit of his drink on Eliott’s leather jacket in the process.

‘We’re twenty-two!’ he yells right in his ear.

Eliott laughs and hugs him back. ‘Well, I am, at least.’

‘Details,’ Idriss dismisses, disentangling himself from Eliott but still holding onto his shoulders. Eliott can’t help but beam back at his friend’s glowing expression.

‘You do realize you’re going to be hungover for all of your actual birthday, right?’

Idriss chuckles and pats him on his shoulder before taking a step back. ‘That’s assuming my sister will let me drink enough to get to that point.’

‘Very true,’ he replies with a grin. Sofiane joins them then, as if the mere mention of Imane summoned him.

‘There are about nine different girls looking for you so they can buy you a birthday drink,’ Sofiane tells Eliott, amusement coloring his tone.

Eliott rolls his eyes and gestures towards the bar. ‘How about you get me one instead? No cocktails, though, you have the _worst_ taste.’ Sofiane just frowns at him and pouts.

Idriss decides to pipe up then, ‘Get me one too, since Demaury’s getting all the female attention.’

‘ _Female attention_? You just lost your drink rights,’ Sofiane replies, smiling cheekily before sauntering over to the bar. Eliott lets out a full-on cackle at Idriss’ shocked face.

‘Since when did he get so snarky?’

‘He’s been trading tips with Imane, clearly,’ Eliott says with a wink. Idriss splutters out a laugh and shakes his head.

The hours pass in a blur of shots and out of tune birthday songs and Eliott’s having the best night he’s had in a while. Well, almost, considering Lucas practically bolts every time he makes eye contact with Eliott.

Trying not to smart over his lack of interactions with Lucas since they’d arrived, Eliott rolls a cigarette and makes his way onto the street outside the bar. After he’s lit up, he pulls his phone out of his pocket and opens up Instagram to pass the time. Smoke drifts lazily past his eyes as he scrolls, his thumb stuttering as it hovers over one particular photo.

Eliott scowls as he looks at his phone. At Eliott’s very own birthday party, Lucas had the fucking _audacity_ to ignore him and then post a picture of him cosying up to Alex. Jealousy settles in his gut as he shoves his phone in his pocket and scans the crowd through the window, eyes seeking out the other boy. Eventually, he spots him. He’s still sat with Alex, the two of them laughing with their heads close together.

It’s probably the alcohol that’s making him react so strongly, but Eliott doesn’t really care, angrily sucking on the filter of his cigarette and forcing the smoke back out through pursed lips as he continues to watch them. The guy’s only been in his life a week and he’s already turned it upside down. Maybe it had been the way Lucas had teased him during the week, drawing him in more and more before Eliott even had a chance to realize what was happening.

Once he’s finished his smoke, he pushes the door open and strides over to the bar, ordering two shots and throwing them back in quick succession. The alcohol burns his throat, but it calms him a little. Checking to see that Lucas is still in the same spot, Eliott begins to walk over to him, running a hand absently through his hair. He stands in front of the two, but they’re so wrapped up in their conversation, they don’t even notice he’s there.

‘Lucas, can I speak with you?’ Eliott says, surprised by how light he manages to keep his tone.

Lucas ceases his conversation and looks up at him, narrowing his eyes. ‘Uh… sure?’

Eliott nods and plasters on a big smile. Lucas mutters something he doesn’t quite catch to Alex and then stands up, raising his eyebrows at Eliott before moving towards the bar.

‘Bye, Alex,’ Eliott throws over his shoulder, his grin still fixed on his face. His steps are a little unsteady as he follows Lucas, the shots and the beer starting to commandeer his legs. Lucas is leaning against the bar top when he reaches him, eyebrows raised as he regards Eliott.

‘What?’

Eliott pouts and cages Lucas against the counter with one arm. Lucas rolls his eyes and swivels so he’s facing the bar, flagging down the bartender and ordering two beers.

‘How kind,’ Eliott murmurs into Lucas’ ear, still not removing his arm.

‘I thought I’d buy you a drink seeing as you’re only thirty once.’

Eliott lets out a gasp and playfully shoves Lucas, moving to lean next to him against the counter. Lucas is grinning to himself and it’s possibly the most adorable thing he’s ever seen. ‘I’d hate to disappoint your obvious age gap kink, but I’m not that old.’

‘You know what, I think both of these beers are for me now,’ Lucas says, shaking his head. Eliott bumps his elbow against Lucas’ arm lightly and beams. Lucas sighs and then turns to properly face him. ‘Anyway, what did you want to talk to me about?’

Eliott pulls his eyebrows together and studies Lucas’ face. ‘Have you been avoiding me?’

Lucas’ eyes widen. ‘I-‘

‘€9,40 please,’ the bartender interrupts, placing down their drinks. Lucas startles and then fumbles in his pockets for his wallet. For a joke, Eliott nearly steals it out of his hands, but he manages to restrain himself. After he’s paid, Lucas tugs a little at Eliott’s jacket before leading them over to an empty table at the back of the bar. With the other boy’s full attention on him, Eliott feels the jealousy melt away.

‘I haven’t been avoiding you.’ Eliott doesn’t believe it for a second. ‘Maybe you’re just needy.’

Lucas looks way too nonchalant for it to not be put on, but Eliott is suddenly too distracted to question him. His eyes are drawn to Lucas’ throat as he swallows his beer. He’s hungry, now, desperate to lick and bite at Lucas’ skin, to feel their bodies slot together again.

‘Seeing as it’s my birthday…’ Eliott trails off, tipping his head in the direction of the toilets. He figures he can afford to be shameless.

‘It’s not your birthday,’ Lucas replies bluntly. Eliott rolls his eyes and steps closer to slip his fingers in Lucas’ belt loops. He watches Lucas track Eliott’s tongue as he licks his lips.

‘Technically, it is,’ he says, removing his left hand from the fabric of Lucas’ jeans and gesturing around them at the party. Something in Lucas’ gaze seems to shift, and before Eliott knows what’s going on, he’s being pulled towards the bathroom, their drinks forgotten. Lucas drags him into a stall and slams the door shut behind them, pinning him against the tiled wall with his body. Eliott can’t quite believe this is actually happening and he’s pretty sure his expression is showing it.

‘Well, if it’s _technically_ your birthday,’ Lucas finally responds, voice husky and barely above a whisper. He grins and lightly nips at the tip of Eliott’s nose. Eliott’s already about to combust, his mouth going dry and palms starting to sweat, any remaining thoughts of jealousy flying out of his head.

The image of Lucas sinking to his knees and keeping eye contact all the while burns itself into Eliott’s brain.

‘Fuck,’ he breathes out, pushing himself further back against the wall to ground himself. He’s already hard when Lucas ghosts his hands over his crotch and starts to undo his jeans. ‘ _Fuck_ ,’ he repeats, briefly tipping his head back against the tiles before returning his gaze to Lucas.

He’s made quick work of unzipping Eliott’s fly, pulling the tight jeans down so the fabric’s bunched around Eliott’s knees. Lucas ignores the boxers in favour of rucking up Eliott’s shirt and skimming his fingertips over his abdomen. Eliott’s stomach quivers under the feather-light touch. He lets out a startled moan when Lucas suddenly grips his hip harshly and leans forward to bite at Eliott’s hip bone.

‘What are you doing to me?’ Eliott asks rhetorically, already breathless. Lucas exhales a laugh against his skin, the feeling of it sending a shiver down Eliott’s spine.

In one quick motion, Lucas pulls down his boxers and then kisses his way down towards Eliott’s cock. Eliott’s breath hitches as Lucas avoids the one place Eliott’s desperate for him to touch.

‘Lucas…’ he chokes out, running his hands through the other boy’s hair and gently pulling. Lucas moans as he finally takes Eliott into his mouth, securing his hand around the base of Eliott’s shaft as he bobs his head up and down infuriatingly slowly. Eliott sinks his teeth into his bottom lip and tugs at Lucas’ hair again.

Lucas picks up the pace, flattening his tongue, and then pauses at the tip. Eliott practically sobs as Lucas swirls his tongue and then hollows his cheeks, sinking back down, surrounding Eliott in heat.

Eliott’s already embarrassingly close, hooded eyes trained on Lucas. Without warning, Lucas twists his hand and his tongue at the same time at the exact moment he flicks his gaze up to meet Eliott’s. That’s all it takes before Eliott’s coming. Bliss spreads throughout his body and his head smacks back against the tiles as he rides out his orgasm. Lucas swallows around him, causing Eliott to practically convulse at the sensation.

He continues panting as Lucas jumps up, smile sinful as he wipes at the corner of his mouth with his fingertips. ‘Happy Birthday.’

Eliott huffs and immediately drags Lucas in for a kiss, switching their positions to Lucas is the one pressed against the wall. Lucas’ mouth tastes of salt and cheap beer and Eliott’s overwhelmed by it. Apparently, this takes Lucas by surprise, his breath stuttering as Eliott moves to his neck and starts to suck. Lucas fists his hands in Eliott’s hair and grinds against him, absolutely no space between their bodies.

The fabric of Lucas’ jeans rubs against Eliott’s still-sensitive dick and it’s almost too much. He angles his hips away and Lucas growls at the lack of contact. Eliott doesn’t leave him wanting for long, snaking his hand down Lucas’ torso and unbuttoning his jeans. He stifles a chuckle at Lucas’ sigh of relief.

He pulls back again once he’s finished taking care of Lucas’ clothing and stares him in the eyes as he licks his palm. Lucas’ pupils are blown wide with lust, kiss-bruised mouth hanging open as he consumes Eliott with his gaze. Without wasting any more time, Eliott takes Lucas in his hand and begins to pump his fist. Lucas lets out a low groan and lets his head fall forward onto Eliott’s shoulder. When he swipes his thumb over Lucas’ tip, Lucas slips his hands underneath Eliott’s jacket and scrapes his nails down his back. Eliott quickens his pace, Lucas’ hips moving at their own accord, fucking into Eliott’s fist. It doesn’t take long before Lucas is biting down on the leather on Eliott’s shoulder and coming into his palm. Eliott exhales and then dips his head to press his lips to Lucas’ pulse point, feeling the wild throb of his heartbeat against his skin. He runs a hand through Lucas’ hair and pulls back, reaching behind him for some tissues to clean them up.

‘Fuck,’ Lucas whispers, chest heaving as he gulps in air.

Eliott beams at him, dragging his pants back up and zipping his fly. After a few dazed moments, Lucas follows suit and then attempts to pat down his now wild hair.

Lucas swallows, staring at Eliott’s bright red mouth. ‘We should go back to the party…’

Eliott hums before leaning forward and pressing a chaste kiss to Lucas’ lips. This seems to shock the other boy, an emotion Eliott can’t quite figure out flitting across his eyes. He elects to ignore it and grins, unlocking the door and dragging Lucas out with him. Lucas hangs back a little, allowing Eliott to leave the bathroom first. Eliott almost bumps into Idriss, stopping himself just in time while Lucas collides into his back. Idriss grins as the shorter boy grumbles, moving to stand beside Eliott.

‘That was a long piss,’ Idriss says, eyeing them both knowingly.

‘Fuck off,’ Eliott snickers, subtly brushing his fingers against Lucas’ knuckles. He’s a little taken aback when Lucas instantly flinches away from the touch. Eliott tries to catch the other boy’s gaze but he seems determined not to make eye contact.

‘Well, you boys have fun, I’ll be in the corner scouting out my own Lucas.’ Idriss grins and throws them a salute before leaving them alone. As soon as Idriss has left, Eliott spins on his heel to face Lucas.

‘Are you okay?’ he asks softly. The contrast of his tender tone to how he’d been speaking mere minutes ago doesn’t escape him.

Lucas stares at him for a minute before drawing in his bottom lip with his teeth. ‘Yeah, I’m fine,  just,’ he pauses, ‘I think I’d just rather we kept this quiet.’ he says, waving his hand in the space between them. ‘Is that okay?’

Lucas’ words hit him hard, and Eliott feels his heart squeeze painfully in his chest. Sure, Lucas tends to be blunt with him when they’re not kissing or fucking, but this is different. ‘What do you mean?’ he prompts, trying to keep his voice neutral.

Lucas bites down further on his bottom lip and then looks up at Eliott from under his lashes. ‘What we have going on,’ he says quietly. ‘I just would prefer it if our friends didn’t know about it.’

Eliott gulps and now it’s his turn to avoid eye contact. He’s more confused than anything, what with Lucas completely throwing himself on Eliott when they’re alone and the mixed messages he exudes when they’re not.

‘But, hey.’ He looks up to see Lucas smiling somewhat shyly. ‘It doesn’t mean we can’t have fun. I mean, it _is_ your birthday.’

Maybe it’s the alcohol thrumming through his bloodstream, or maybe it’s just the sight of Lucas smiling, but Eliott agrees. His mind tramps down the want for more from Lucas and the slight ache in his chest as he tips his head in the direction of the exit. Lucas’ smile broadens and he nods, leading the way out. Eliott figures Idriss will know where he is, not bothering to say goodbye. Everyone’s suitably drunk and the hour’s late enough that no one will notice his departure.

He meets Lucas outside the bar, watching him order a cab as he’s stood under a streetlight. Eliott follows the artificial light playing in his hair for a moment before shaking himself out of it, not wanting to let himself fall deeper into something that’s already doomed.

They skip the teasing this time, immediately locking lips as the car door shuts, Eliott’s hands roughly cradling Lucas’ cheeks while Lucas slides his hands under the taller boy’s leather jacket and bunches up his shirt.

‘You look so fucking hot in that jacket,’ Lucas whispers against Eliott’s lips. Eliott chuckles but Lucas swallows the sound, his tongue sliding into Eliott’s mouth. The sting of Lucas’ earlier comment about them keeping this quiet fades into a muted echo at the back of his skull as he focuses on devouring the other boy’s lips.

The ride passes in a blur and before he knows it, they’re back at Eliott’s apartment, tearing at each other’s clothes with shaking hands.

‘Do you want me to leave the jacket on?’ Eliott jokes, pulling at Lucas’ earlobe with his teeth.

Lucas groans in response and reconnects their lips, arousal shooting through Eliott’s body at the sound.

Unlike last time, there’s no delay before they’re crashing onto Eliott’s bed, limbs tangling and pressing each other closer. As they move together in tandem- kissing at each other’s skin, wrecking each other with the heat of their touches- Eliott commits it all to memory.

‘Happy Birthday,’ Lucas mumbles for the second time that night before promptly passing out. Eliott laughs quietly and stares at Lucas’ profile for a moment. He looks peaceful in slumber, and Eliott can’t stop his chest from blooming with tenderness. He sighs and snuggles closer to Lucas, flinging an arm over the other boy’s waist.

As Eliott falls into a dreamless sleep plastered against Lucas’ back, he thinks this might have been the best birthday he’s ever had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you're welcome
> 
> [lovebird1517](http://lovebird1517.tumblr.com) [eliottsmec](http://eliottsmec.tumblr.com) [cheloueliott](http://cheloueliott.tumblr.com)  
> cover art: [starcassstic](http://starcassstic.tumblr.com)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'What?'  
> 'Nothing… it's just that you're so…' He gestures at Lucas' ensemble. Lucas raises a brow at him in warning.  
> 'I'm so what?'  
> 'Cute... you're so cute.'  
> Oh. That's definitely not what he expected to hear, and the compliment goes right to Lucas' stomach filling it with butterflies.  
> 'Aren't I always?' he says, trying to keep his cool.  
> 'Yeah you are.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! Life got in the way a bit, but we're making up for it with a monster chapter.
> 
> Lucas: 🌸  
> Eliott: 🍁

 

🍁

 

_SUNDAY 09:46_

 

Eliott drifts into wakefulness to the sound of clothes rustling. It takes him a moment to find the strength to open his eyes, and when he does he’s not surprised to see the noise is coming from Lucas searching around the room for his clothes.

‘Escaping again?’ His voice is croaky from sleep. He almost laughs at the startled deer in the headlights look that appears on Lucas’ face, his entire body freezing. Eliott huffs out a laugh and pushes himself up onto his elbows. ‘I thought you were going to cook me a birthday breakfast.’

Lucas straightens himself up then, shirt balled in his hands, and rolls his eyes. ‘I take it you’re one of those people who celebrates their birthday for the whole month?’

‘Not usually,’ Eliott says through a yawn. Lucas stares at him for a moment before sighing and walking over to perch at the end of the bed. Eliott moves his foot under the covers to nudge at Lucas’ leg. ‘Anyway, for medical reasons, I wouldn’t leave just yet if I were you.’

Lucas elevates an eyebrow and stares at Eliott in confusion. ‘What does that mean?’

Eliott shrugs and puts on a sultry smirk. ‘I wouldn’t want your legs to give out in public seeing as they _surely_ can’t have already recovered from last n-‘

‘I hate you,’ Lucas says, shoving Eliott’s leg roughly. Eliott laughs melodically and cocks his head, drinking in Lucas’ dishevelled appearance. His hair’s sticking up all over the place from where he’d rolled around during the night and bright hickeys decorate his exposed collarbones and torso. Again, Eliott can only describe him as beautiful. He swallows and shifts his gaze, Lucas’ words coming to the forefront of his mind again.

Eliott reaches over to his side table and picks up his phone to check the time and distract himself a little. He frowns at the screen before realizing it’s not actually his.

Jul certainly rings a bell. He decides not to bring it up just yet, holding the phone out for Lucas to take. ‘Oh shit, sorry, I think this is yours.’

Lucas accepts the phone off him and Eliott watches as the blood drains from his face. He scrunches his eyebrows together and flicks his gaze over Lucas’ now pale profile.

‘Are you okay?’

Lucas tears his eyes away from the now darkened screen and nods a little too robotically. ‘Yeah, I’m good.’

‘Well, I’m not.’ Lucas looks at him questioningly. Eliott tilts his head and prods the other man with his foot again. ‘You woke me up before ten a.m. on a _Sunday_ , Lucas.’

Lucas scoffs and shoves at Eliott’s leg. ‘I thought there was actually something wrong.’

Eliott lifts an eyebrow and smiles softly. ‘There is.’

Lucas breathes out a laugh. ‘What?’

‘About that breakfast… I’m starving. Are you hungry?’ he asks. Lucas shoots him a small smile and nods. Eliott copies the action and then flips the duvet off him, taking delight in Lucas’ widened eyes and fierce blush as he realizes Eliott’s still completely naked.

‘ _Eliott!_ ’ Lucas admonishes, whipping his head away. He laughs and strolls in front of Lucas to his chest of draws, pulling out a pair of fresh boxers.

‘Relax, it’s not like you haven’t seen it before.’ He pauses after putting on his underwear, staring into the drawer. ‘Do you want to borrow some?’ he asks, holding up a second pair of boxers.

Lucas blushes again and fidgets on the bed, playing with a loose thread on the duvet cover. ‘Um… if that’s okay? I kind of feel gross wearing these.’ He plucks at the waistband of his own underwear. Eliott holds back a shudder at the sound of the elastic snapping back against Lucas’ skin.

‘Of course.’ Eliott throws the boxers at him- chuckling when they hit Lucas in the face- and then makes his way to his bedroom door. ‘I’ll try and put something together while you change.’

Eliott smiles at him before disappearing down the hall and into the kitchen. He’s not entirely sure what he has in his fridge having not done a grocery shop in a while. He tinkers around the room, opening random cupboards. He eyes the leftover birthday cake that’s been hanging around since Tuesday, but he’s pretty sure it’s going stale. _Well…_

‘I’m not having cake for breakfast,’ Lucas mumbles. Eliott spins around and watches as Lucas slumps down in one of the seats at the little table in the corner.

‘Picky,’ he mutters. He rolls his bottom lip between his teeth and continues to rummage around the kitchen, eventually putting a plate of questionable cheese and dry crackers in front of Lucas.

Lucas raises an eyebrow and stares at the offering for a moment before looking back up at Eliott. ‘Uh...’

Eliott shrugs and sits down opposite him, leaning across the table to snatch one of the crackers for himself. ‘I need to go shopping.’

Lucas puffs his cheeks out a bit before letting out a long exhale and digging in. Eliott nibbles at his biscuit absently, eyes on Lucas the whole time. His hair is still sticking up in random places and Eliott aches to twine his fingers around the brown locks. But he can’t; he needs to be provided with a little clarity first.

‘So…’ Lucas looks up from his plate, continuing to chew but giving Eliott his full attention. ‘What you said last night, after we bumped into Idriss…’

Lucas purses his lips and then swallows. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and then slightly shifts in his chair. An anxious feeling swirls in Eliott’s gut as he watches Lucas fidget and waits for him to respond.

‘Look, Eliott…’ _Here it comes_. ‘I’m sorry if I was vague.’ Eliott drops his gaze to the table and follows the wood grains with his eyes. ‘This is just something I’m not very comfortable talking about.’

‘I understand,’ Eliott says quietly. Well, it was fun while it lasted and at least his heart’s not in so deep it’s going to shatter into a million pieces with what Lucas is about to say.

‘No, no,’ Lucas starts, reaching across the table as if to grab Eliott’s hand but pulling it back at the last second. He lets out a deep sigh. ‘I just got out of a long-term relationship.’

Eliott snaps his gaze back up at that, studying the crease that’s now settled itself between Lucas’ eyebrows and the way the sadness behind Lucas’ eyes has now been brought to the surface. ‘Oh?’

Lucas nods and begins to pick at his lip. ‘When I say _just_ got out of it, I mean he broke up with me literally a few hours before I met you at the club.’

It’s not like Eliott had been out searching for The One that night, but it still hurts knowing he had definitely been used as a rebound. It obviously shows on his face because Lucas quickly starts to scramble for placating words. When he comes up short, he lets out another frustrated sigh and shakes his head.

‘I’m fucking this up.’ He runs a hand through his hair and begins to pull at the strands. Eliott starts to fiddle with a splinter that’s sticking out of the table. ‘What I mean to say is, I don’t want a relationship right now. But I like hanging out with you and I like what we’re doing. I don’t want my friends to find out about this becoming a regular thing because they’ll read into it too much... and I don’t think I can handle that.’

Eliott gets it, he does. He just wishes it wouldn’t hurt so much hearing it. He can’t quite find the correct words to respond with, so he just nods and continues to twist the splinter. It eventually comes loose and Eliott has no choice but to meet Lucas’ eyes. Lucas inhales before speaking again.

‘So can we keep it casual? Like… friends?’ He watches Lucas cringe as the word leaves his mouth, and it seems ridiculous considering how not even twelve hours before Eliott had literally been inside him.

‘...Okay.’

Eliott can do this, he’s heard about the whole friends with benefits thing and he’s watched enough movies to know how it works. He’s also well aware that, eventually, someone always gets hurt because they catch deeper romantic feelings for the other person.

He already knows which one of them it’s going to be.

 

\---

 

_SUNDAY 18:11_

 

The universe clearly hates him, sending him a massive _fuck you_ as it watches his feelings for Lucas multiply tenfold over the the course of their day together.

Eliott isn’t sure if he’s ever been so enamoured with another person before. Lucas doesn’t allow the gentler, more affectionate touches to last longer than necessary, a slightly heartbroken look appearing in his eyes whenever they lose themselves in each other’s gaze. But it’s still wonderful, and Eliott will take what he can get.

Eliott had sent Lucas off with his wallet to get them food earlier in the day, as a sort of test to see if he’d come back, and he had. He’d even regaled Eliott with stories of irritating shoppers and overpriced bread as they unpacked the items together. Eliott definitely hadn’t put in as much effort into the task as Lucas had, too distracted by how animated Lucas’ face became and the quiet laughs he’d let out every now and then, interrupting his own anecdotes.

The entire day after that had almost felt like they were the last two people on earth, surrounded by a bubble made just for them, even with the knowledge that Lucas wasn’t completely his.

Eliott had explored Lucas’ body in ways he hadn’t been able to before, completely sober and in broad daylight. Lucas had cooked for them both and, although it was just a simple pasta dish, it had felt incredibly domestic to Eliott.

Now, they’re panting in Eliott’s bed, flushed from each other’s touch.

‘Do you want to watch something?’ Eliott manages to force out after a few minutes.

‘I thought you were supposed to do the Netflix bit before the chill,’ Lucas replies, voice cracking on a few words.

Eliott grins and flips his head to look at the other man. ‘Is that a no, then?’

‘No… I’m choosing, though.’

Eliott holds up his hands in surrender for a moment before rolling off the bed to fetch his laptop. He grabs two pairs of boxers on his way back, flinging a pair at Lucas. It’s not that he doesn’t want to keep Lucas naked in his bed, he just feels it’d be more polite to offer the clothing.

‘Can you stop throwing underwear at me,’ Lucas grumbles, not really expecting a response. A flash of arousal shoots through Eliott as Lucas lifts his hips up from the mattress to pull on the boxers. He subtly shakes his head and puts his laptop on top of the covers before dressing himself. He settles down beside Lucas- probably closer than strictly necessary- and hands him the computer.

‘Do your worst.’

 

\---

 

_SUNDAY 22:39_

 

‘It’s late,’ Lucas croaks, rubbing at his eyes roughly with his fingertips. The blue light of Eliott’s laptop illuminates his face, casting beautiful shadows across his skin.

‘You could stay over again… if you want,’ Eliott chances, peeking at the other man from under his lashes. Lucas quickly covers his mouth as a massive yawn escapes. Eliott chuckles at the sight and shuffles closer to him on the bed without really noticing he’s doing it.

Lucas nods, eyelids drooping. ‘That’s probably best... I don’t think I can move.’

‘You’re welcome.’

Lucas rolls his eyes and lightly smacks the back of his hand against Eliott’s chest. ‘Not like that, idiot. Well, maybe a bit like that.’

Eliott lets out a triumphant laugh, relishing in the smug smile that graces Lucas’ lips as he snuggles under the duvet, bringing it all the way up to his chin.

‘Do you want me to tuck you in?’ Eliott asks, still beaming. Lucas lets out a little snort and buries his head further into the pillow.

‘I think I’ll be fine.’

Eliott places his laptop on the floor beside the bed so as not to get up and disturb Lucas’ comfortable position. He lets himself fall back against his own pillow and turns his head to the side. Lucas’ eyes are now closed and he seems like he’s already on the brink of falling asleep. Eliott’s careful as he maneuvers into a better position; he ends up on his right side, facing Lucas.

‘Goodnight, Lucas,’ Eliott whispers when his breathing evens out, brushing a loose lock of hair away from his forehead.

In the end, he can’t help himself, allowing himself to fall asleep with his fingers resting in the disarray of Lucas’ hair.

 

🌸

 

_MONDAY 10:23_

 

Lucas’ eyes flutter open, and he squints them from the intensity of sunlight seeping through the thin curtains. They immediately lock with Eliott’s and a small smile appears on Lucas’ face. Eliott’s hand carding through his hair doesn’t stop; if anything it buries itself deeper in it.

‘Morning,’ he cringes how shaky his voice sounds, but Eliott beams at him and returns the greeting.

‘What time is it?’

Lucas regrets asking the question when Eliott retracts his hand to check the time on his phone.

'10 o'clock.'

'Shit. I got class in an hour.'

Eliott hums and slowly gets out of bed. He's half naked, and Lucas can't help but stare at him from his comfortable spot on the bed.

'Better get ready then,’ Eliott says with a chuckle.

'Don't want to…too tired.' He groans and buries his face deeper into the bed.

'Come on, Lucas. I have to get going too; I have a meeting with my professor in an hour and a half.'

Lucas peaks at him from under the blanket. 'Make me,' he whines.

Eliott raises a brow at him, and Lucas doesn't like the smirk that forms on his face.

'As you wish.’ Lucas doesn't have the time to process the words before he's been lifted off the bed. He's too shocked and tired to move or fight back, so he lets Eliott carry him off the bed.

'Where are we going?' he asks when Eliott doesn't let him down and walks toward the bathroom.

'The bathroom.'

'I can see that...but why?'

'To eat, Lucas,' he replies with a laugh but stops when he sees the unimpressed expression on Lucas' face. 'To shower, duh, what else?'

'Together?' Lucas frowns.

'Yeah, to save time and water you know.'

'There is plenty of time for each one of us to shower separately. Just say you want to shower with me and go.'

'Fine you got me; I want to shower with you.'

Lucas hums in understanding. If he wasn't so damn tired, he would have probably said no to the suggestion. But he really doesn't have the energy to argue right now. Naturally, Eliott is the one that does most of the work when they are inside the bathroom. He carefully undresses them, and leads Lucas to the shower. He turns on the showerhead and lets it run for a while, letting the warm water wet their skin. Then, he takes a bottle of shampoo from the rack and squeezes it unto Lucas' hair.

A strong citrus fragrance fills the shower, and Lucas feels his muscles relaxing as Eliott gently washes his hair. A few moments later, he turns on the showerhead once again to rinse it off. Lucas watches as Eliott does the same to his hair, and proceeds to clean them both up.

Elliott wraps himself and Lucas up in soft towels, and they make their way out of the bathroom.

Lucas sits on the edge of the bed, and aggressively dries his hair while watching Eliott pace around the room to find articles of clothing to wear. It hits Lucas when he sees Eliott slipping on a grey crew shirt. He snaps his head to the pile of dirty clothes next to the bed and frowns when he sees his clothes from Saturday covered in stains. Lucas didn’t plan on staying this long at Eliott’s. He had hoped to flee like last time, so bringing extra clothes didn’t really cross his mind. What the fuck is he supposed to wear now?

‘What’s wrong?’ Eliott’s voice is really close, and the overpowering lemon scent is making Lucas slightly dizzy.

Lucas nods at the pile, and Eliott immediately gets it if the deep frown on his face is anything to go by.

‘I have old clothes that don’t fit me anymore; you could wear those if you want.’

Everything about this situation feels really intimate, and Lucas is certain friends with benefits don’t share clothes or shower together. _Well, at least not in the way they just did._ But Lucas can’t really say no can he? There is no way in hell he is going to leave this apartment with these dirty clothes. So he sighs and nods. Eliott grins brightly in response, and walks over to his large closet. A series of curses later, he lets out a small triumphant noise and walks back to Lucas holding a maroon long sleeved shirt and black sweatpants. He hands them to Lucas, and walks back inside the bathroom.

Lucas takes the opportunity to quickly put on the clothes. Lucas stares at his reflection in the big mirror and huffs. The sleeves of the shirt are way passed his hands, and he wonders how he is going to walk in these sweatpants without tripping. Elliott walks back in and chuckles upon seeing Lucas.

'What?'

'Nothing… it's just that you're so…' He gestures at Lucas' ensemble. Lucas raises a brow at him in warning.

'I'm so what?'

'Cute... you're so cute.'

 _Oh_. That's definitely not what he expected to hear, and the compliment goes right to Lucas' stomach filling it with butterflies.  

'Aren't I always?' he says, trying to keep his cool.

'Yeah you are.'

The certainty in which he says it leaves Lucas speechless.  

'You ready?' Eliott asks after a few moments of awkward silence.

Lucas nods because he doesn't trust his voice right now.

'Cool, then let's go.'

They grab their belongings and make their way out of Eliott's apartment. They take the elevator to save some time.

'Are you going directly to school?'

'No I have to go to my apartment to get my laptop.'

'Okay.'

They awkwardly part ways at the lobby, and Lucas makes his way home.

If anyone asks Lucas what happened during the last few days, he wouldn't know what to say. Why did he tell Eliott all those personal things about him? Why did he stay all day Sunday? Why does the way Eliott laugh makes him feel funny? And most importantly, why is it that yesterday was by far one of the best days of his life? Lucas doesn't have the answers, and to be honest, he's not sure he wants them.

He unlocks his apartment door and walks straight to the kitchen where he sees newly made coffee in the coffee maker. Yann probably made it. Fuck. He completely forgot about him. He must have been worried sick this whole time. Lucas hears the bathroom door open and he walks towards it. A sleep deprived Yann comes out, and Lucas feels responsible for the dark bags under his eyes.

'Hey.'

Yann throws him a glare and ignores him. He walks to the living room and falls dramatically on the sofa. Lucas follows him and sits on the adjacent couch.

'Hi.' Lucas tries again.

'Fuck off you asshole.'

'Wow okay.'

'You have no right to sound hurt when you disappeared for a whole day without a warning. Do you know worried I was? Blew up your phone and everything.'

'It's dead.'

'I'm sure you could have found time to charge it. It's not like you had a whole 24 hours or anything.' Yann says with an eye roll.

'I am sorry okay? I promise it won't happen again,' Lucas pleads.

Yann sighs and shakes his head in disappointment. 'You are such a mess...where were you anyway?'

'Nowhere.'

'Were you with Eliott?'

'How-'

'When you disappeared on us Saturday night, we looked for you everywhere and the other birthday guy, Idriss, said he saw you leave with Eliott.'

'Hmm.'

'So, Eliott huh?''

'It's not what you think.'

Yann gives him the 'I don’t believe your bullshit' look and Lucas knows he won't get out of this one that easily.

'Fine….he's the guy from the club.'

'Club?'

'The one you guys dragged me to the night Julian broke up with me.'

'Oh...Holy fuck, that's him?'

'Yeah.'

'Damn Lucas, that's…'

'I know. But it's nothing serious. It was a one time thing. We decided to be friends.'

'You sure about that?'

'Yep...there is nothing more to it.' And saying those words made Lucas' stomach twist uncomfortably. _It's because he didn't eat breakfast yet._

Yann doesn't ask more, but Lucas sees the way he eyes his outfit. He ignores the smirk that forms on Yann's face and goes to his bedroom to get his backpack and laptop. He walks back out and locks the room and makes his way to the entrance.

'I'm going to class. Be back in about three hours.' He shouts in the direction of the living room.

Yann leans back from the couch and looks at him up and down.

'Aren't you going to change?'

'Why?'

'You look like you're drowning in those clothes.'

'Don't have the time,' he shrugs.

'Whatever you say,' Yann replies mockingly and goes back to his previous position.  

Lucas sighs and leaves the apartment. _Yeah that's all there is to it_. It's definitely not that he finds the scent coming from Eliott's clothes comforting.

 

🍁

 

_TUESDAY 12:54_

 

_what’re you doing right now_

**lucallemant:** i have an exam in an hour

 **lucallemant:** so obviously i’m cramming

 **lucallemant:** nothing makes sense 😒

_so… no distractions then_

**lucallemant:** nope… why

_I never want to look at another piece of charcoal again_

_my hands are ruined Lucas_

**lucallemant:** oh no not your hands!

_I was wondering if you’d help me out_

_but education is important I guess_

**lucallemant:** not that i wouldn’t love to be covered in charcoal rn

 **lucallemant:** but i’m gonna fail if u don’t let me study

_I’ll keep that in mind..._

_good luck ❤_

**lucallemant:** ❤

 

\---

 

_WEDNESDAY 17:32_

 

 **lucallemant:** so first week of exams will be over this friday

_correct_

**lucallemant:** the boys want to host a movie night to celebrate

_bit premature, no?_

**lucallemant:** shut up

 **lucallemant:** you in?

_will the movie be about the intricacies of Matisse’s use of color?_

**lucallemant:** …

 **lucallemant:** no

_then yes, I’m in_

**lucallemant:** great :)

 **lucallemant:** tell idriss and sofiane too

_will do, Mr Double Text_

**lucallemant:** 🖕

 **lucallemant:** 🖕

 

\---

 

_THURSDAY 20:08_

 

_Voice Message (12secs)_

**lucallemant:** the fuck is that?

 **lucallemant:** did u record that with a potato

_it’s The Song_

**lucallemant:** ???

_the one we danced to at the club!!_

_it came up on Idriss’ playlist_

**lucallemant:** there’s no way we danced to dubstep

 **lucallemant:** how do u even remember that anyway?

_that’s not dubstep_

_THIS is dubstep baby_

_Voice Message (15secs)_

**lucallemant:** blocked

_:(_

**lucallemant:** remind me not to let u choose the music tomorrow

_I thought we were watching a movie?_

**lucallemant:** we are but movies don’t last all night

_do you know who does last all night_

**lucallemant:** Eliott don’t you dare

_😊_

**lucallemant:** don’t

_Me_

_I last all night_

**lucallemant:** i’m never sleeping with u again

 

\---

 

_FRIDAY 18:45_

 

‘Beer, beer… asbestos muffins,’ Idriss lists off, gesturing to each of the items as he says them.

Eliott adjusts the Tupperware under his arm and rolls his eyes. ‘At least I’m being original… And they’re not asbestos, they’re blueberry and bacon.’

Idriss shakes his head and shares a long-suffering look with Sofiane. ‘Because that’s a normal combination.’

‘They taste great, trust me.’

‘I don’t trust you. At all,’ Idriss laughs.

Eliott’s sure Lucas is starting to rub off on him with the way he rolls his eyes for the second time in less than two minutes. Idriss laughs again and then sobers slightly, studying Eliott’s face with a more serious gaze as they continue to stroll down the street.

‘So is this a kind of… properly-meet-the-boyfriend thing or?’

Eliott’s jaw jumps as he clenches his teeth together briefly. ‘He’s not my boyfriend… we’re just friends.’

Idriss snorts and looks at him in disbelief. ‘Demaury making _friends_ with another hookup? This isn’t how I expected this one to go.’

‘It’s complicated,’ Eliott replies, swallowing past the slight lump in his throat.

They walk in silence for a little while, but Eliott can feel Sofiane’s stare trained on his profile the entire time.

‘Do you want him to be your boyfriend?’ he finally asks. Eliott nearly trips on the pavement at the question but manages to right himself just in time.

‘It’s complicated,’ Eliott repeats.

‘Well, he’s never gonna be your boyfriend if you offer him any of those,’ Sofiane murmurs, peering at Eliott’s box of muffins warily.

‘Homemade muffins aren’t romantic anymore?’

‘So you _are_ trying to be romantic!’ Idriss blurts, pointing at Eliott like he’s caught him out.

‘I never said-’

‘ _Your_ homemade muffins aren’t romantic, no. They’re a biohazard,’ Sofiane interjects, grinning widely.

Eliott shakes his head and takes his phone out of his pocket, bringing up his maps app and re-checking the address Lucas had sent him.

‘Okay, okay; I know when we’re being dismissed,’ Idriss tuts, bumping his shoulder against Eliott’s playfully.

‘I just wanted to check we weren’t getting lost,’ Eliott responds innocently. ‘It’s the next street over.’

‘I can’t wait to have some fun with this.’

Eliott stops dead in his tracks and looks pleadingly at Idriss. ‘Please don’t bring any of this up.’

Sofiane pulls his brows together and looks between the two of them. ‘Why? Don’t you want us to help you… I don’t know, get together?’

Eliott pinches the bridge of his nose. ‘It’s-’

‘Complicated? Uh huh,’ Idriss finishes for him. He places his hand on Eliott’s upper arm and gets him moving again. The closer they get to Lucas’ apartment building, the more aggressive the butterflies in his stomach grow. Idriss smiles at him reassuringly. ‘Look, I’m not going to be a dick and take it too far, okay? Or are we not friends who support each other?’

‘Of course we are,’ Eliott mumbles.

‘Having said that, there’s no way I’m _not_ going to embarrass my best friend at least a little in front of his crush. Especially since I didn’t get the opportunity to do it on our birthday.’

Sofiane beams and lets out a sharp chuckle before slapping a hand over his mouth. Eliott stares at him wide-eyed. ‘What did you do?’

‘I may have said something at the party... about a teenage phase you went through…’ Eliott groans and leans his forehead on Idriss’ shoulder, though it’s impossible to hold the position for too long considering they’re still moving. ‘I’m surprised he hasn’t brought it up yet.’

‘I’m sure he’s saving it for their wedding day.’

‘What is it with you and weddings?’ Eliott grouses before checking his phone again. ‘Shit, we’re here.’

‘Don’t worry, Eli, you look great,’ Sofiane says, pinching Eliott’s cheek.

‘I wasn’t worried; I happen to know Lucas loves this jacket,’ he replies easily, winking at Sofiane.

‘How you’re not suffering heat stroke in that thing is beyond me,’ Idriss says. Eliott’s grateful he doesn’t make a comment about how Eliott had clearly dressed to impress Lucas- he hadn’t seen him all week because they’d been busy with exams and assignments, _maybe_ he just wanted to remind Lucas of what he’d been missing.

‘Are you going to keep burning a hole in the door with your stare or are you going to ring the bell?’ Idriss says, amusement drenching his tone.

Eliott glares at him before buzzing up to Lucas’ apartment. Once they’ve been let in, Eliott allows himself to take in the surroundings. The inside seems a bit more run down than his own building but there’s still a certain charm to it. Maybe it’s because he knows Lucas lives here, but he’d rather pretend he’s not biased.

Arthur opens the door to them and immediately drags Eliott into an unexpected hug. ‘Eliott! Good to see you, man! Great party, by the way.’

It takes Eliott’s brain a moment to catch up to what’s happening, but he eventually returns the hug, his Tupperware digging uncomfortably into both of their stomachs.

Arthur then does the rounds with Idriss and Sofiane, but his cheerful voice becomes white noise in Eliott’s ears as he finally spots Lucas. He’s sat on the couch, picking at the label on his beer bottle and staring directly at Eliott.

Seeing him in his plain white t-shirt and dark blue skinny jeans doesn’t hit him as hard as seeing Lucas wearing Eliott’s own clothes did, but it comes damn close. He’s not really given enough time to take in Lucas’ appearance, nor his obvious appreciation for Eliott’s jacket, before Basile comes barreling into him, engulfing him in his second hug of the night. Yann opts for a more reserved handshake, but his eyes are warm and welcoming.

Lucas appears behind Yann then and shoots Eliott a soft grin before drawing him into his third and most pleasant hug of the evening.

‘I see you’re wearing the jacket,’ Lucas whispers into his neck. He smiles against Lucas’ shoulder and nods.

‘I knew you’d like it.’

‘They brought beer!’ Arthur announces, holding up the two cases from Sofiane and Idriss. At the sound of Arthur’s voice, Eliott and Lucas spring apart. Yann and Basile let out a loud cheer and begin to herd the group towards the sofa.

Lucas’ eyes bug as he drags Eliott without warning to Lucas’ previous seat in the corner of the couch before anyone else has the chance to steal it. Eliott’s heart flutters at the contact, full-on stopping when he finds himself completely pressed against the other boy’s side. He awkwardly takes off his jacket and flings it over the back of the sofa, making sure to accidentally-on-purpose bump into Lucas as much as possible.

Basile ends up bickering with Arthur for a moment about who gets to sit next to Eliott- Arthur’s argument being that he’d been sat on the floor for the last hour, and Basile’s being ‘Eliott’s a cool guy’. Eliott finds the exchange endlessly amusing, turning to wiggle his eyebrows at Lucas.

Yann rolls his eyes at his friends and then says, ‘We were just finishing up a FIFA tournament. Do you guys play?’

‘We dabble,’ Idriss replies with a snicker.

Idriss sits on the floor, his back against the arm of the sofa beside Lucas while Sofiane, Yann and Arthur scatter themselves around the TV, passing out beers to everyone on the way.

Basile picks up one of the controllers and offers it to Eliott. Eliott’s eyes widen and he shakes his head. He hears Idriss and Sofiane burst out laughing.

‘Oh no, Eliott’s terrible,’ Sofiane says through his chuckles.

‘So’s Lucas! Every time we play, his players always end up running backwards for no reason,’ Yann laughs, beaming over at a disgruntled Lucas.

Idriss whips his head around to dart his eyes between Eliott and Lucas. ‘ _Interesting_ … You have _so_ much in common.’

Eliott glares at Idriss but snaps out of it when he feels Lucas shuffle next to him and then lean closer. The other guys break into casual chatter as they set up another game.

‘So if we’re not joining in… can I ask what the fuck those are?’

Eliott follows Lucas’ gaze and then lets out a quiet giggle. He pops the lid off the box and watches as Lucas recoils from the smell of burnt blueberries.

‘I made them.’

‘I can tell,’ Lucas says, wrinkling his nose.

‘Hey! Don’t knock them ‘til you try them. They were made with love,” Eliott says proudly as he holds one out for Lucas to try.

Lucas looks unsure but takes a bite anyway. There’s a look of confusion on his face as he chews before it turns into one of disgust.

‘Nope! Absolutely not. You should be ashamed Eliott, I’m calling the police.’

Eliott lets out a laugh when he sees Lucas reach for his phone.

‘You know what? No, actually I think you need to be publicly shamed for this, hang on.’ Lucas snaps a picture and types away with a smug look on his face.

Eliott fakes a wounded expression when Lucas hides his phone from Eliott's view and then slams the lid back on the box.

A loud shout from Basile draws their attention to the screen. Eliott places the muffins on the floor besides his feet and settles back to watch the chaos of the boys playing against each other.

The games continue over the next hour and Eliott’s not sure if he’s ever laughed this much. He’s pretty certain he could write a dissertation on the complexities of Basile’s range of curses and he almost bursts a lung when Lucas finally gets the controller and scores a spectacular own goal.

Eventually things wind down and Arthur announces that it’s about time they started watching a movie.

‘Yeah, but… which movie?’ Yann asks.

Sofiane grins and glances at each of the boys. ‘You mean you didn’t have one prepared?’

‘Well…’ Arthur begins, cutting himself off when Lucas glares daggers at him.

‘Lucas suggested The Notebook,’ Basile says for him, leaning over Eliott to slap Lucas’ leg.

Idriss’ eyebrows shoot up. ‘You mean Eliott’s favorite film?’

Really, if the opportunity to defend Lucas wasn’t there, Eliott would have vehemently disagreed with his friend, but here he is.

‘What? It’s a beautiful film,’ Eliott replies, looking directly at Lucas as he speaks. He smiles as Lucas wriggles under his gaze.

When Eliott turns to the rest of the room, he notices Yann staring at them with a knowing look.

‘Fine, if we’re watching it, we’re going all the way,’ Arthur declares, standing up and motioning for a confused Idriss and Sofiane to follow suit. ‘We need blankets, popcorn, and more beer.’

The three of them disappear into the kitchen to prepare the snacks.

‘Eliott, how come I haven’t seen you around uni before?’ Basile asks after they’ve left.

Eliott shrugs. ‘I mostly keep to myself in the Art building.’

‘You could draw me for your final project if you want!’ Basile says enthusiastically, eyes lighting up and head bobbing.

Eliott lets out a loud laugh. ‘Thank you for the offer, but I already have a model.’

Basile visibly dims for a second before perking up again. ‘Well, if that model drops out, I’m your man.’

‘I’ll definitely keep you in mind.’

Out of the corner of his eye he sees Lucas frown.

‘Come on, guys, are we watching The Notebook or Titanic right now?’ Yann says, kneeling in front of the game console.

Idriss returns then and unceremoniously dumps a blanket on Eliott and Lucas’ heads and proceeds to go about setting up a nest for the others on the floor.

Eliott drapes the blanket over both his and Lucas’ legs and snorts at how the material had completely messed up Lucas’ hair.

‘This is cosy,’ he murmurs into Lucas’ ear as Yann sets up the film. The blanket nearly falls off them as the other boy squirms in response.

‘Too cosy for June, maybe,’ Lucas mutters. Eliott beams and swings his arm so it’s resting on the back of the couch behind Lucas. He laughs and unwraps Eliott’s arm as quickly as he’d put it there.

‘Okay, boys, are we ready to cry?’ Idriss asks with a grin as the DVD menu comes up on the screen.

Arthur turns off the lights for dramatic effect and they all settle down as the opening scene begins.

Somehow the darkness amplifies Lucas’ presence beside Eliott. He can acutely feel every place his body meets Lucas’ and the itch to reach out and touch him becomes overwhelming. He plays with the corner of the blanket to try and stop himself, but the desire to hold Lucas doesn’t leave. He chews on his bottom lip and attempts to concentrate on the screen but nothing goes in. Eliott grabs a handful of popcorn and shoves it in his mouth as a distraction, but that doesn’t help either.

_Fuck it._

He lets go of the blanket and inches his hand towards Lucas.

 

🌸

 

Lucas isn't really paying attention to the movie. He stopped watching five minutes into it. He's watched this film a billion times and normally that wouldn't have stopped him from being completely hooked, but Eliott's body pressed against his is making it hard to focus. So it makes sense that he notices when the blanket moves a tiny bit. He turns to Eliott but sees nothing but a neutral expression on his profile. Lucas concludes that it's all in his head until a hand rests on top of his. His head sharply turns to Eliott once again, but this time he is already gazing down on him. Lucas raises his eyebrows in question. Eliott gives him a small smile and slips his fingers in between his squeezing it gently. Lucas pretends to be unaffected and brings his eyes back to the T.V. _So much for trying to pay attention._ They stay like that for a while simply enjoying the warmth from their linked hands. They were halfway through the movie when Lucas' phone buzzes in his pocket.

 

 **srodulv:**  i want to ditch this movie

_why?_

**srodulv:** it's so boring

_i thought the notebook was ur fav movie_

**srodulv:** you really didn't believe that did you?

_i mean u never know..._

**srodulv:** whatever i just need 10 min away from this over dramatic shit

_ok enjoy ✨_

**srodulv:** wtf lucas

_what?_

**srodulv:** you are coming too

_no i am not_

**srodulv:** yes you are, just follow right after me to make it less suspicious

_but…._

_I don't want to_

_:)_

**srodulv:**  :(

_……_

_fine_

**srodulv:** thought so :)

 

Lucas rolls his eyes and stuffs the phone back into his pocket. Eliott retracts his hand and gets up from the couch.

Basile looks at him in confusion and Lucas snorts a little. He doesn't understand why Basile is so fond of Eliott. They literally only spoke to each other today, and he's acting like they've been friends since childhood.

'Going for a smoke.'

Basile nods and turns back to the film. The others only nod at Eliott when shows them a cigarette in explanation on his way out. He glances back at Lucas when the others aren't looking and gives him a wink.

Lucas stays unmoving on his spot on the couch for a few minutes before his phone vibrates again.

 

 **srodulv:** come now

 

Lucas doesn't bother replying. He gets up and says a 'I am going to the bathroom' to the group. He leaves before they could say something.

Lucas finds Eliott leaning against one of the walls of the hallway. He's not smoking, and Lucas is thankful because he didn't want his apartment to smell like smoke. Eliott doesn't say anything and grabs Lucas by the hand.

Lucas sighs as Eliott guides him to the bathroom at the end of the hallway. He doesn’t let go of his hand until the door locks behind them in a soft click. The minimal space between them is making Lucas feel some type of way, so he goes over to the sink and leans over it. Lucas looks over at Eliott who is still standing by the door.

‘So, why are we here?’

Eliott chuckles and makes his way over to Lucas. He only stops when their chests are touching. Lucas averts his eyes and tries to look at anywhere but Eliott’s eyes. Before he could try to put some distance between them, Eliott cages him between the counter and his body. Lucas’ breath shakes when Eliott brings his chin up forcing Lucas to stare into his eyes.

‘Thought we might want some privacy.’

‘For what?’

‘I don’t know, you tell me.’

Eliott’s hand on his chin moves to the back of his neck, and plays with the end of his hair. Lucas bits his lips to stop the embarrassing whine that’s threatening to slip from his lips. He watches Eliott’s eyes drop to his lips and holds his breath in anticipation as Eliott moves closer to him. Lucas closes his eyes and waits. Instead of soft lips pressing against his, a low voice whispers in his ears.

‘Tell me what we may need privacy for, baby.’

Lucas’ mind goes blank. It takes him a few moments to come back to reality, and hides his redding face with Eliott’s shoulder in embarrassment. _Baby._  Why does that sound so nice coming from Eliott’s lips?

‘Eliott, please.’

‘Please what?’ his voice is colored with a smirk.

‘Kiss me.’

Eliott leans back detaching from Lucas in the process. He immediately wraps his hands around Lucas’ waist.

‘Since you asked so nicely.’

He leans back down this time towards Lucas’ lips. ‘Hurry-’

Eliott dips down and kisses him, a small grin on his lips cutting him off. Lucas sighs in relief when their lips touch, and he kisses him back immediately. Eliott pulls him closer by his hips, leaving no space between them. He slightly leans his head to deepen the kiss. Eliott slips his hands under Lucas’ shirt and draws random shapes on his skin making Lucas gasp into the kiss.

Eliott is the first to open his mouth, and he licks the top of Lucas’ bottom lip, asking for permission. Lucas doesn't waste time in giving it to him, and he finds himself drowning in the kiss. Eliott tastes like popcorn and those nasty blueberry muffins he brought along with him, but even that doesn’t stop Lucas from pressing his tongue harder against Eliott’s. Lucas wraps his arms around Eliott’s neck playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. Eliott presses him harder against the counter, and Lucas splits opens his legs for his thighs to slip in.

Eliott’s lips moves to his jaw line, kissing and sucking at spots as he trails down slowly. Lucas lets out a soft moan when Eliott sinks his teeth into a very noticeable spot on his neck. ‘Eliott don’t-’ he tries but the other ignores him and keeps nibbling on the patch of skin. If he’s being honest, Lucas couldn't care less at the moment if anyone is going to see the marks or not.  So he lets Eliott do whatever he wants with him, opting to lean back and enjoy. When Eliott’s done, he leans back and traces the hickeys with his fingertips. Judging by the smug look on his face, they are not going away anytime soon.

'Are you happy now?' He fakes annoyance.

'Very.'

'For your own sake, I hope I can cover them before we go back out there.'

'What are you going to do if you can't?'

'You'll find out won't you?'

'Guess I will.'

Lucas chuckles at Eliott's answer before leaning up and capturing his lips in his once again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> boysquadboysquadboysquad
> 
> [lovebird1517](http://lovebird1517.tumblr.com) [eliottsmec](http://eliottsmec.tumblr.com) [cheloueliott](http://cheloueliott.tumblr.com)  
> cover art: [starcassstic](http://starcassstic.tumblr.com)


End file.
